Notes on Proverbs

Scholia in Proverbia

Evagrius Ponticus · c. 345–399 AD · PG 40

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The Possession of Wisdom and the Exodus of the Soul§1

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1A proverb is a word which, through sensible things, signifies intelligible matters.

The kingdom of Israel is spiritual knowledge containing discourses about God, the incorporeal and the corporeal, judgment, and providence, or revealing a theory concerning the ethical, the physical, and the theological.

For the purpose of knowing wisdom and instruction, he says, 'reigned in Israel to know instruction and wisdom' (Prov 1:2). And wisdom is the knowledge of bodies and incorporeal things and the judgment and providence observed in these; but instruction is the moderation of passions, observing the passionate or irrational part of the soul.

To direct judgment: The judgment to be direct and incorruptible signifies the criterion. And there are three criteria in us: sensation, word, and mind; sensation indeed of the sensible, word of names and utterances and things said, but mind of the intelligible.

And piety toward God is the beginning of sensation: Just as through sensations the mind imposes itself upon the sensible, so also through virtues it presides over the intelligible.

But the impious will despise wisdom and instruction: Those who cultivate wickedness will despise wisdom and instruction; but by word, as I think, no one despises wisdom and instruction.

For a crown of grace will be on your head and a golden ring around your neck: Just as the head and the neck signify the mind there, so also the crown and the ring signify knowledge there. For this is the custom of the Holy Spirit to name God and his angels, and the mind, and virtue, and knowledge, and wickedness, and ignorance, and the devil himself and his angels, with many names. But he does not set down the names simply, as some think; for they are identifiers of different activities, of God through his angels working in us and of us in him, and of demons.

The possession of the righteous is wisdom, understanding, and prudence. The impious seize this possession, persuading the righteous to do something of those things forbidden by God, so that the mind, having been blinded by sin, may fall from these holy estates. These are plundered by those whom the demons conquer, taking from them the panoply of God: the helmet, the breastplate, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God (Eph 6:16-17).

Those who are co-heirs with the adversaries are they who partake of the same wickedness as them. For that which is not of the One God is common. Nets are not spread unjustly; it is a net, an eternal punishment from the righteous Judge, drawn toward the impure souls to their destruction as they flee badly with their wings.

Wisdom is praised in exoduses; in the marketplaces it leads to boldness; on the tops of walls it is proclaimed; and at the gates of the powerful it sits. Exodus now names the soul emerging from wickedness and ignorance. Such is also the exodus of the sons of Israel, which has come to pass after the generation of the judgment and teaching of God. Regarding the same soul, he says: 'Enlarge the place of your tent' (Isa 54:2) and 'Enlarge your heart' (2 Cor 6:13) in the address of Paul to the Corinthians. And wisdom is praised by the soul emerging in this way; and in the soul being enlarged through virtues, it leads to boldness. Its high wall he calls the highest apathy, if 'those who love the law surround themselves with a wall' (Ps 50:14), for which wall David also prays, saying: 'Let the walls be built.'

Greek · §1

Scholia in Proverbia (fragmenta e catenis) ΣΧΟΛΙΑ ΕΙΣ ΤΑΣ ΠΑΡΟΙΜΙΑΣ Παροιμία ἐστὶν λόγος δι' αἰσθητῶν πραγμάτων σημαίνων πράγματα νοητά. 2 Βασιλεία Ἰσραήλ ἐστιν γνῶσις πνευματικὴ τοὺς περὶ θεοῦ καὶ ἀσωμάτων καὶ σωμάτων καὶ κρίσεως καὶ προνοίας περιέχουσα λόγους ἢ τὴν περὶ ἠθικῆς καὶ φυσικῆς καὶ θεολογικῆς ἀποκαλύπτουσα θεωρίαν. 3 1, 2.1 γνῶναι σοφίαν καὶ παιδείαν Τούτου χάριν, φησίν, «ἐβασίλευσεν ἐν Ἰσραὴλ τοῦ γνῶναι παιδείαν καὶ σοφίαν». Καὶ σοφία μέν ἐστιν γνῶσις σωμάτων καὶ ἀσωμάτων καὶ τῆς ἐν τούτοις θεωρουμένης κρίσεως καὶ προνοίας· παιδεία δέ ἐστιν μετριοπάθεια παθῶν περὶ τὸ παθητικὸν ἢ ἄλογον τῆς ψυχῆς μέρος θεωρουμένη. 4 1, 3.3 καὶ κρίμα κατευθύνειν Τὸ κρίμα κατευθύνειν ὀρθὸν καὶ ἀδιάστροφον εἶναι τὸ κριτήριον δηλοῖ. Τρία δὲ κριτήρια ἐν ἡμῖν, αἴσθησις, λόγος, νοῦς· καὶ αἴσθησις μὲν τῶν αἰσθητῶν, λόγος δὲ ὀνομάτων καὶ ῥημάτων καὶ τῶν λεγομένων, νοῦς δὲ τῶν νοητῶν. 5 1, 7.3 εὐσέβεια δὲ εἰς θεὸν ἀρχὴ αἰσθήσεως Ὥσπερ διὰ τῶν αἰσθήσεων ὁ νοῦς ἐπιβάλλει τοῖς αἰσθητοῖς, οὕτω καὶ διὰ τῶν ἀρετῶν ἐποπτεύει τὰ νοητά· 6 1, 7.4 σοφίαν δὲ καὶ παιδείαν ἀσεβεῖς ἐξουθενήσουσιν Οἱ κτώμενοι κακίαν ἐξουθενήσουσι σοφίαν καὶ παιδείαν· λόγῳ δέ, ὡς οἶμαι, οὐδεὶς ἐξουθενεῖ σοφίαν καὶ παιδείαν. 7 1, 9 στέφανον γὰρ χαρίτων ἕξῃ σῇ κορυφῇ καὶ κλοιὸν χρύσεον περὶ σῷ τραχήλῳ Ὥσπερ ἡ κορυφὴ καὶ ὁ τράχηλος δηλοῖ ἐνταῦθα τὸν νοῦν, οὕτω καὶ ὁ στέφανος καὶ ὁ κλοιὸς ἐνταῦθα σημαίνει τὴν γνῶσιν. Αὕτη γὰρ ἡ συνήθεια τοῦ πνεύματος τοῦ ἁγίου πολλοῖς ὀνόμασιν ὀνομάζειν τὸν θεόν τε καὶ τοὺς ἀγγέλους αὐτοῦ καὶ τὸν νοῦν καὶ τὴν ἀρετὴν καὶ τὴν γνῶσιν καὶ τὴν κακίαν καὶ τὴν ἀγνωσίαν καὶ αὐτὸν τὸν διάβολον καὶ τοὺς ἀγγέλους αὐτοῦ. Οὐχ ἁπλῶς δὲ τίθησι τὰ ὀνόματα, ὥς τινες οἴονται· διαφόρων γὰρ ἐνεργειῶν εἰσι γνωσρίσματα, θεοῦ τε διὰ τῶν ἀγγέλων ἐν ἡμῖν ἐνεργοῦντος καὶ ἡμῶν ἐν αὐτῷ, δαιμόνων τε πρὸς ἡμᾶς καὶ ἡμῶν πρὸς αὐτούς. 8 1, 13 τὴν κτῆσιν αὐτοῦ τὴν πολυτελῆ καταλαβώμεθα· πλήσωμεν δὲ οἴκους ἡμετέρους σκύλων Ἡ κτῆσις τοῦ δικαίου ἐστὶν σοφία καὶ σύνεσις καὶ φρόνησις· «κτῆσαι γάρ, φησί, σοφίαν καὶ κτῆσαι σύνεσιν» καὶ «ὁ κτώμενος φρόνησιν ἀγαπᾷ ἑαυτόν». Καταλαμβάνονται δὲ τὴν κτῆσιν ταύτην οἱ ἀσεβεῖς, πείθοντες τὸν δίκαιον ποιῆσαί τι τῶν ἀπηγορευμένων παρὰ θεῷ, ἵνα τυφλωθεὶς ὑπὸ τῆς ἁμαρτίας ὁ νοῦς ἐκπέσῃ τῶν ἁγίων τούτων κτημάτων. 9 Τούτους σκυλεύουσιν οὓς νικῶσιν οἱ δαίμονες, λαμβάνοντες ἀπ' αὐτῶν τὴν τοῦ θεοῦ πανοπλίαν, τὴν περικεφαλαίαν καὶ τὸν θώρακα καὶ τὴν μάχαιραν τοῦ πνεύματος, ὅ ἐστι ῥῆμα θεοῦ. 10 1, 14.1–2 τὸν δὲ σὸν κλῆρον βάλε ἐν ἡμῖν· κοινὸν δὲ βαλλάντιον κτησώμεθα πάντες Οὗτοι συγκληρονόμοι τῶν ἀντικειμένων εἰσὶν οἱ τῆς αὐτῆς αὐτοῖς κακίας μεταλαμβάνοντες. Κοινὸν δέ ἐστιν ὃ μὴ τοῦ ἑνός ἐστι θεοῦ. 11 1, 17 οὐ γὰρ ἀδίκως ἐκτείνεται δίκτυα πτερωτοῖς ∆ίκτυόν ἐστιν κόλασις αἰώνιος παρὰ τοῦ δικαίου κριτοῦ ταῖς ἀκαθάρτοις προσαγομένη ψυχαῖς ἐπ' ἀπωλείᾳ τῶν κακῶς ἀπ' αὐτῶν ἐκφύντων πτερῶν. 12 1, 20 σοφία ἐν ἐξόδοις ὑμνεῖται· ἐν δὲ πλατείαις παρρησίαν ἄγει· 1, 21 ἐπ' ἄκρων δὲ τειχέων κηρύσσεται· ἐπὶ δὲ πύλαις δυναστῶν παρεδρεύει Ἔξοδον νῦν ὀνομάζει τὴν ἐξελθοῦσαν ψυχὴν ἀπὸ κακίας καὶ ἀγνωσίας. Τοιαύτη δὲ καὶ ἡ ἔξοδος τῶν υἱῶν Ἰσραὴλ ἡ μετὰ τὴν ἐκ τῆς κρίσεως τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ διδασκαλίας γένεσιν γεγονυῖα. Τὴν αὐτὴν δὲ ψυχὴν καὶ πλατεῖαν λέγει· «πλάτυνον γάρ, φησίν, τὸ στόμα σου καὶ πληρώσω αὐτὸ» καὶ «πλατύνθητε δὴ καὶ ὑμεῖς» ἐν τῇ πρὸς Κορινθίους ὁ Παῦλος. Καὶ ὑπὸ μὲν τῆς οὕτως ἐξερχομένης ψυχῆς ὑμνεῖται ἡ σοφία· 1 ἐν δὲ τῇ πλατυνομένῃ διὰ τῶν ἀρετῶν παρρησίαν ἄγει. Ἄκρον δὲ τεῖχος αὐτῆς τὴν ἄκραν ἀπάθειαν λέγει, εἴπερ «οἱ ἀγαπῶντες τὸν νόμον περιβάλλουσιν ἑαυτοῖς τεῖχος», ὑπὲρ οὗ τείχους εὔχεται καὶ ὁ ∆αυὶδ λέγων· «οἰκοδομηθήτω τὰ τείχη

The Fear of God and the Deception of the Devil§2

2“Jerusalem,” that is, the fallen things of such a soul, is evident from the expression of Origen. Regarding the gates of the mighty, he speaks of the virtues of the wise: “For open to me, he says, the gates of righteousness” (Psalm 5:11), and “The mighty are hot-tempered; let them not drink wine, lest having drunk, they fail to perceive wisdom and be unable to judge rightly for the weak” (Proverbs 23:20). 13 1, 26 Indeed, I too shall laugh at your ruin; and I shall rejoice whenever destruction comes to you. How then does Solomon say before the event: “But he who rejoices at the destruction of another shall not be acquitted” (Proverbs 28:22)? Or perhaps wisdom rejoices in this way, just as she rejoiced at the loss of Matthew the tax collector and at the loss of the thief who believed in Christ. For wisdom lost the thief, but lost the tax collector. 14 1, 27.1–3 And just as an unexpected noise will reach you, so destruction will come like a storm when tribulation and siege come to you. A siege is an ethical teaching that overturns a soul badly constructed. 15 1, 30.1 It also did not wish to pay attention to me through intentions. If it is up to us to want to pay attention to the intentions of wisdom, and not to want to pay attention, we have become masters of ourselves. Similar to this is: “If you are willing and will listen to me, you shall eat the good of the earth; but if you are not willing and will not listen to me, a sword shall strike you; for the mouth of the Lord has spoken these things” (Matthew 9:13; Luke 23:35). 16 1, 32.1 Because they were wronging the infants, they shall be killed. Just as infants are in the midst of the righteous and the unrighteous, so all men are in the midst of angels and demons, neither being demons nor angels, making their living until the consummation of the age. 17 1, 33 And he who hears me will dwell in hope and will rest fearlessly from every evil. The one in apatheia rests fearlessly from every evil thought. 18 2, 1 Son, if having received the word of my commandment you hide it within yourself, 2, 2.1 your ear will obey wisdom. This one who does the commandment of God hides it, even though it is said that the demons snatch us away because they do not forgive it. 19 2, 3.1–2 For if you call upon wisdom and give your voice to understanding, now he calls the apatheia of the soul a 'voice'; for this is accustomed to call upon the knowledge of God. So also David says: “With my voice I cried out to the Lord” (Psalm 142:1).

And again: 'Give heed to the voice of my prayer.' Then you will realize fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God. At that time you will realize how the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom and how the knowledge of God becomes a guest. Wisdom and understanding must pre-exist so that one may be able to understand the fear of the Lord. And we shall add these things to those who despise wisdom and understanding, but who wish to flee toward fearing God as if it were an easy thing.

Then you will realize righteousness and judgment, and you will straighten all righteous axes. 'Axes' refers to the commandments of God which lead us toward the knowledge of God. And David says: 'For this reason I have kept all your commandments' (Ps 119:27). In order to be rescued from an evil way and from a man speaking nothing trustworthy. The holy angels speak all things trustworthily; men speak some things trustworthily and some things untrustworthily; but the devil speaks nothing trustworthily, rather he is not worthy of faith. For he calls the devil a 'man' now, if he is a wicked man who has sown discord.

'Son, let not an evil counsel seize you, having forgotten the teaching of youth and the divine covenant.' If counsel is a movement of the mind, how did this leave behind the teaching of youth? And how did it also overtake the divine covenant? For it discourses to us about him as if he were a rational animal. Either he calls the devil a 'bad counsel' now. For he counseled wickedly, saying, 'I will set my throne above the stars; I will be like the Most High' (Isa 14:13). And he also overtook the divine knowledge, leaving behind the teaching of youth, which youth reveals his former state, by which he was also a zealot among the trees of paradise.

All those who walk in it will not turn back, nor will they find paths of straightness; for they are not overtaken by the years of life. 'For those pursuing righteousness love' (Ps 34:14) and 'so run that you may attain' (1 Cor 9:24). Those who 'are overtaken by the years of life' are those who seize paths of straightness. And 'your mercy, he says, shall pursue me all the days of my life' (Ps 23:6). The good shall be inhabitants of the earth; but the harmless shall be left in it. Those who, he says, remained in harmlessness, were left in the land, that is, in knowledge; the...

Greek · §2

Ἱερουσαλήμ», τουτέστιν τῆς τοιᾶσδε ψυχῆς τὰ καταπεπτωκότα δηλονότι ἐκ τῆς τοῦ Οὐρίου προφάσεως. Πύλας δὲ δυναστῶν τὰς ἀρετὰς τῶν σοφῶν λέγει· «ἀνοίξατε γάρ μοι, φησίν, πύλας δικαιοσύνης» καὶ «οἱ δυνάσται θυμώδεις εἰσίν· οἶνον μὴ πινέτωσαν, ἵνα μὴ πιόντες ἐπιλάθωνται τῆς σοφίας καὶ ὀρθὰ κρίνειν οὐ μὴ δύνωνται τοὺς ἀσθενεῖς». 13 1, 26 τοιγαροῦν κἀγὼ τῇ ὑμετέρᾳ ἀπωλείᾳ ἐπιγελάσομαι· καταχαροῦμαι δέ, ἡνίκα ἂν ἔρχηται ὑμῖν ὄλεθρος Πῶς οὖν ἔμπροσθέν φησιν ὁ Σολομών· «ὁ δὲ ἐπιχαίρων ἀπολλυμένῳ οὐκ ἀθῳωθήσεται»; Ἢ τάχα οὕτως χαίρει ἡ σοφία ὡς ἐχάρη ἐπὶ τῇ ἀπωλείᾳ Ματθαίου τοῦ τελώνου καὶ ἐπὶ τῇ τοῦ λῃστοῦ ἀπωλείᾳ τοῦ πιστεύσαντος τῷ Χριστῷ. Τοῦ μὲν γὰρ τὸν λῃστὴν ἡ σοφία, τοῦ δὲ τὸν τελώνην ἀπώλεσεν. 14 1, 27.1–3 καὶ ὡς ἂν ἀφίκηται ὑμῖν ἄφνω θόρυβος, ἡ δὲ καταστροφὴ ὁμοίως καταιγίδι παρῇ ἢ ὅταν ἔρχηται ὑμῖν θλῖψις καὶ πολιορκία Πολιορκία ἐστὶν διδασκαλία ἠθικὴ τὴν κακῶς οἰκοδομηθεῖσαν ψυχὴν καταστρέφουσα. 15 1, 30.1 οὐδὲ ἤθελον ἐμαῖς προσέχειν βουλαῖς Εἰ ἐφ' ἡμῖν ἐστιν τὸ θέλειν προσέχειν ταῖς τῆς σοφίας βουλαῖς καὶ μὴ θέλειν προσέχειν, γεγόναμεν αὐτεξούσιοι. Ὅμοιον τούτῳ ἐστὶν καὶ τὸ «ἐὰν θέλητε καὶ εἰσακούσητέ μου, τὰ ἀγαθὰ τῆς γῆς φάγεσθε· ἐὰν δὲ μὴ θέλητε μηδὲ εἰσακούσητέ μου, μάχαιρα ὑμᾶς κατέδεται· τὸ γὰρ στόμα κυρίου ἐλάλησε ταῦτα». 16 1, 32.1 ἀνθ' ὧν γὰρ ἠδίκουν νηπίους, φονευθήσονται Ὥσπερ τὰ νήπια μεταξὺ δικαίων καὶ ἀδίκων ἐστίν, οὕτως καὶ πάντες οἱ ἄνθρωποι μεταξὺ ἀγγέλων τε καὶ δαιμόνων εἰσίν, μήτε δαίμονες ὄντες, μήτε ἄγγελοι χρηματίζοντες μέχρι τῆς συντελείας τοῦ αἰῶνος. 17 1, 33 ὁ δὲ ἐμοῦ ἀκούων κατασκηνώσει ἐν ἐλπίδι καὶ ἡσυχάσει ἀφόβως ἀπὸ παντὸς κακοῦ Ὁ ἀπαθὴς ἡσυχάζει ἀφόβως ἀπὸ παντὸς κακοῦ λογισμοῦ. 18 2, 1 υἱέ, ἐὰν δεξάμενος ῥῆσιν ἐμῆς ἐντολῆς κρύψῃς παρὰ σεαυτῷ, 2, 2.1 ὑπακούσεται σοφίας τὸ οὖς σου Οὗτος κρύπτει τὴν ἐντολὴν τοῦ θεοῦ ὁ ποιῶν αὐτήν, εἴπερ καὶ οἱ δαίμονες ἐκ τοῦ μὴ συγχωρεῖν αὐτὴν ποιεῖν ἡμᾶς ἁρπάζειν λέγονται. 19 2, 3.1–2 ἐὰν γὰρ τὴν σοφίαν ἐπικαλέσῃ καὶ τῇ συνέσει δῷς φωνήν σου Νῦν φωνὴν τὴν ἀπάθειαν τῆς ψυχῆς ὀνομάζει· αὕτη γὰρ πέφυκεν ἐπικαλεῖσθαι γνῶσιν θεοῦ. Οὕτω καὶ ὁ ∆αυὶδ λέγει· «φωνῇ μου πρὸς κύριον ἐκέκραξα»· καὶ πάλιν· «πρόσχες τῇ φωνῇ τῆς δεήσεώς μου.» 20 2, 5 τότε συνήσεις φόβον κυρίου καὶ ἐπίγνωσιν θεοῦ εὑρήσεις Τότε συνήσεις πῶς ὁ φόβος τοῦ κυρίου ἀρχὴ σοφίας ἐστὶν καὶ πῶς τῆς τοῦ θεοῦ γνώσεως γίνεται πρόξενος. Προϋπάρξαι δὲ δεῖ σοφίαν καὶ σύνεσιν πρὸς τὸ δυνηθῆναι συνιέναι φόβον κυρίου. Καὶ προσάξομεν δὲ ταῦτα τοῖς τὴν μὲν σοφίαν καὶ τὴν σύνεσιν ἐξουθενοῦσιν, καταφεύγειν δὲ βουλομένοις ἐπὶ τὸ φοβεῖσθαι τὸν θεὸν ὡς ἐπὶ εὐχερὲς πρᾶγμα. 21 2, 9 τότε συνήσεις δικαιοσύνην καὶ κρίμα καὶ κατορθώσεις πάντας ἄξονας ἀγαθούς Ἄξονας λέγει τὰς ἐντολὰς τοῦ θεοῦ τὰς ἀγούσας ἡμᾶς ἐπὶ τὴν γνῶσιν τὴν τοῦ θεοῦ. Καὶ ὁ ∆αυίδ φησιν· «διὰ τοῦτο πρὸς πάσας τὰς ἐντολάς σου κατωρθούμην.» 22 2, 12 ἵνα ῥύσηται ἀπὸ ὁδοῦ κακῆς καὶ ἀπὸ ἀνδρὸς λαλοῦντος μηδὲν πιστόν Οἱ μὲν ἅγιοι ἄγγελοι πάντα λαλοῦσι πιστά· ἄνθρωποι δὲ τὰ μὲν πιστά, τὰ δὲ ἄπιστα· ὁ δὲ διάβολος οὐδὲν πιστόν, ἀντὶ τοῦ οὐ πίστεως ἄξιον. Ἄνδρα γὰρ νῦν τὸν διάβολον λέγει, εἴγε ἄνθρωπος πονηρὸς ἐπέσπειρε τὰ ζιζάνια. 23 2, 17 υἱέ, μή σε καταλάβῃ κακὴ βουλὴ ἡ ἀπολείπουσα διδασκαλίαν νεότητος καὶ διαθήκην θείαν ἐπιλελησμένη Εἰ ἡ βουλὴ ποιὰ νοῦ κίνησίς ἐστιν, πῶς αὕτη ἀπέλιπεν διδασκαλίαν νεότητος; Πῶς δὲ καὶ θείας ἐπελάθετο διαθήκης; Ὡς γὰρ περὶ ζῴου λογικοῦ τῆς κακῆς βουλῆς ἡμῖν διαλέγεται. 2 Ἢ νῦν κακὴν βουλὴν τὸν διάβολον λέγει. Οὗτος γὰρ κακῶς ἐβουλεύσατο εἰπὼν τὸ «ἐπάνω τῶν ἄστρων θήσομαι τὸν θρόνον μου· ἔσομαι ὅμοιος τῷ ὑψίστῳ». Ἐπελάθετο δὲ καὶ τῆς θείας γνώσεως καταλιπὼν τὴν διδασκαλίαν τῆς νεότητος, ἥτις νεότης τὴν προτέραν αὐτοῦ κατάστασιν δηλοῖ, καθ' ἣν καὶ ζηλωτὸς ἦν ἐν τοῖς ξύλοις τοῦ παραδείσου. 24 2, 19 πάντες οἱ πορευόμενοι ἐν αὐτῇ οὐκ ἀναστρέψουσιν οὐδὲ μὴ καταλάβωσιν τρίβους εὐθείας· οὐ γὰρ καταλαμβάνονται ὑπὸ ἐνιαυτῶν ζωῆς «∆ιώκοντας γὰρ δικαιοσύνην ἀγαπᾷ» καὶ «οὕτως τρέχετε ἵνα καταλάβητε». 25 Ὅσοι «καταλαμβάνονται ὑπὸ ἐνιαυτῶν ζωῆς», οὗτοι καταλαμβάνουσι τρίβους εὐθείας. Καὶ «τὸ ἔλεός σου, φησίν, καταδιώξεταί με πάσας τὰς ἡμέρας τῆς ζωῆς μου». 26 2, 21.1–2 χρηστοὶ ἔσονται οἰκήτορες γῆς· ἄκακοι δὲ ὑπολειφθήσονται ἐν αὐτῇ Οἱ μὲν ἐν ἀκακίᾳ, φησίν, μείναντες ὑπελείφθησαν ἐν τῇ γῇ, τουτέστιν ἐν τῇ γνώσει· οἱ

Analogies of Rational Nature and Moral Virtues§3

3But those having fallen through wickedness will return again through kindness. 'My son, do not forget my commandments; let your heart keep my words' (Prov 3:1). If this one forgets the law, the one not living according to it, this one remembers the law; but if this one keeps the words of God, the one doing them, this one destroys them, the one not willing to do them; 'for the hearers of the law are not righteous before God, he says, but the doers of the law will be justified' (Rom 2:13). 'Be of good trust with all your heart in God; but do not be proud of your own wisdom' (Prov 3:5-7). 'Do not be puffed up,' he says, 'having acquired the wisdom of God.' Because he says here the wisdom of God and not the human wisdom, by which he demonstrates: 'for in all your ways you will know her, so that she may make your paths straight' (Prov 3:6).

'Then there will be healing to your body and care to your bones' (Prov 3:8). When the powers of the soul receive care, they will say the greatest things: 'Lord, who is like you? For all, he says, my bones will say: Lord, Lord, who is like you?' Because the mnemonic power of the soul, receiving care, will certainly say, 'I remembered God and was glad.' Similarly, the optic power will say, 'I understood your works and was astonished.' Likewise also the desiring power: 'Lord, all my desire is against you.' And the calculating power will also say, 'I considered the days of old.' According to these things, it will happen also to the other powers.

Something more precious than costly stones is; nothing evil opposes it. Toward wisdom alone, the demons are unable to cast thoughts into the heart of the one having become wise, if they are not permitted; for the mind, being occupied with the theorems of wisdom, becomes unfit for unclean thoughts. A pure mind approaches wisdom; but the unclean will be distanced from it. It is a tree of life to all those holding fast to it. Adam is prevented from partaking of this tree after the transgression, if 'a tree of life grows from the fruits of righteousness.' But if the tree of life is the wisdom of God, he is justly prevented from grasping this tree; 'for into a craftless soul, he says, wisdom will not enter.' God established the world by wisdom.

The earth: and the holy Paul named the breadth there; and the heavens being called height in his epistle to the Ephesians; and the so-called tropical abysses he names depth; and the cloud-formed mists he calls length. All these are symbols of rational natures, divided by worlds and bodies according to the analogy of their state.

‘That your soul may live, and that there may be grace around your neck’ (Prov 3:2, 20): ‘Neck’ he says of the soul that has borne the yoke of the Lord. ‘That all your ways may go in confidence in peace, and that your foot may not stumble’ (Prov 3:2, 23): ‘Stumbling block’ is an impure thought of rational nature or a false knowledge. ‘If you sit, you shall be without fear; and if you sleep, you shall sleep sweetly, and you shall not be afraid of a falling terror or the coming of the impulses of the ungodly’ (Prov 3:2, 24-25). From this we know that almsgiving removes fearful fantasies occurring to us in the night. Gentleness, lack of anger, and patience also do the same, restraining the passion that is prone to be disturbed, if indeed fearful phantoms are wont to arise from the disturbance of the passion.

‘Do not envy a man without cause, lest he work evil against you’ (Prov 23:17): This enmity toward the neighbor works some evil. ‘The curse of God in the houses of the ungodly; but the dwellings of the righteous are blessed’ (Prov 14:11): ‘The ignorance of the Lord in the souls of the ungodly; but the knowledge of God in the souls of the righteous’ (Prov 14:12). ‘The Lord resists the proud, but gives grace to the lowly’ (Prov 3:34): Just as the Lord resists the unrighteous as righteousness, and the liars as truth, so also he resists the proud as humility. ‘The wise shall inherit glory; but the ungodly have exalted dishonor’ (Prov 3:35): The wise shall inherit knowledge; but the ungodly have honored ignorance.

‘For I will give you a good gift’ (Prov 2:3): It should be noted here that he names the law a ‘good gift’ because the one receiving gifts in his lap unjustly is not being guided straight. For there, the commands of the evil one are called unjust gifts, which the mind receiving them is not guided straight in its ways. ‘Do not abandon my law’ (Prov 2:2): He who transgresses it abandons the law.

Greek · §3

δὲ διὰ κακίαν ἐκπεσόντες διὰ χρηστότητος πάλιν ἐπανελεύσονται. 27 3, 1 υἱέ, ἐμῶν νομίμων μὴ ἐπιλανθάνου· τὰ δὲ ῥήματά μου τηρείτω σὴ καρδία Εἰ οὗτος ἐπιλανθάνεται τοῦ νόμου ὁ μὴ νομίμως βιούς, οὗτος μέμνηται τοῦ νόμου ὁ ζῶν κατ' αὐτόν. Καὶ εἰ οὗτος τηρεῖ τὰ ῥήματα τοῦ θεοῦ ὁ ποιῶν αὐτά, οὗτος ἀπόλλυσιν αὐτὰ ὁ μὴ βουλόμενος πράττειν αὐτά· «οὐ γὰρ οἱ ἀκροαταὶ τοῦ νόμου δίκαιοι, φησίν, παρὰ τῷ θεῷ, ἀλλ' οἱ ποιηταὶ τοῦ νόμου δικαιωθήσονται.» 28 3, 5 ἴσθι πεποιθὼς ἐν ὅλῃ καρδίᾳ ἐπὶ θεῷ· ἐπὶ δὲ σῇ σοφίᾳ μὴ ἐπαίρου Μὴ ἐπαρθῇς, φησί, θεοῦ σοφίαν κτησάμενος. Ὅτι δὲ τὴν τοῦ θεοῦ ἐνταῦθα λέγει σοφίαν καὶ οὐ τὴν ἀνθρωπίνην, δι' ὧν ἐπιφέρει δείκνυσι· «ἐν πάσαις γάρ, φησίν, ὁδοῖς σου γνώριζε αὐτήν, ἵνα ὀρθοτομῇ τὰς ὁδούς σου.» 29 3, 8 τότε ἴασις ἔσται τῷ σώματί σου καὶ ἐπιμέλεια τοῖς ὀστέοις σου Ὅταν αἱ δυνάμεις τῆς ψυχῆς ἐπιμελείας τύχωσιν, τὸ τηνικαῦτα ἐροῦσι· «κύριε, τίς ὅμοιός σοι; πάντα γάρ, φησί, τὰ ὀστᾶ μου ἐροῦσι· κύριε, κύριε, τίς ὅμοιός σοι;» Ἐπιμελείας γὰρ τυχοῦσα ἡ μνημονευτικὴ δύναμις τῆς ψυχῆς πάντως ἐρεῖ τὸ «ἐμνήσθην τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ εὐφράνθην». Ὁμοίως δὲ καὶ ἡ ὀπτικὴ λέξει τὸ «κατενόησα τὰ ἔργα σου καὶ ἐξέστην». Ὡσαύτως δὲ καὶ ἡ ἐπιθυμητική· «κύριε, ἐναντίον σου πᾶσα ἡ ἐπιθυμία μου.» Ἐρεῖ δὲ καὶ ἡ λογιστικὴ τὸ «διελογισάμην ἡμέρας ἀρχαίας». Κατὰ ταῦτα συμβήσεται καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν ἄλλων δυνάμεων. 30 3, 15.1–2 τιμιωτέρα δέ ἐστιν λίθων πολυτελῶν· οὐκ ἀντιτάσσεται αὐτῇ οὐδὲν πονηρόν Πρὸς μόνην τὴν σοφίαν ἀδυνατοῦσιν οἱ δαίμονες λογισμοὺς ἐμβάλλειν εἰς τὴν καρδίαν τοῦ σεσοφισμένου μὴ συγχωρούμενοι· ὁ γὰρ νοῦς τοῖς τῆς σοφίας ποιούμενος θεωρήμασιν ἀνεπίδεκτος γίνεται λογισμῶν ἀκαθάρτων. 31 3, 15.3 εὔγνωστός ἐστι πᾶσιν τοῖς ἐγγίζουσιν αὐτῇ Νοῦς καθαρὸς ἐγγίζει σοφίᾳ· ὁ δὲ ἀκάθαρτος μακρυνθήσεται ἀπ' αὐτῆς. 32 3, 18.1 ξύλον ζωῆς ἐστι πᾶσι τοῖς ἀντεχομένοις αὐτῆς Τούτου τοῦ ξύλου μετὰ τὴν παράβασιν ὁ Ἀδὰμ μεταλαμβάνειν κωλύεται, εἴπερ «ἀπὸ καρπῶν δικαιοσύνης φύεται δένδρον ζωῆς». Εἰ δὲ τὸ δένδρον τῆς ζωῆς ἡ τοῦ θεοῦ σοφία ἐστίν, δικαίως ἅψασθαι κωλύεται τούτου τοῦ ξύλου· «εἰς γὰρ κακότεχνον, φησίν, ψυχὴν σοφία οὐκ εἰσελεύσεται.» 33 3, 19 ὁ θεὸς τῇ σοφίᾳ ἐθεμελίωσεν τῆν γῆν· ἡτοίμασεν δὲ οὐράνους ἐν φρονήσει· 3, 20 ἐν αἰσθήσει ἄβυσσοι ἐρράγησαν· νέφη δὲ ἐρρύησαν δρόσους Ἣν ἐνταῦθα γῆν εἶπεν, Παῦλος ὁ ἅγιος πλάτος ὠνόμασεν καὶ τοὺς ἐνταῦθα οὐρανοὺς λεγομένους ὕψος ἐκεῖνος ἐν τῇ πρὸς Ἐφεσίους καλεῖ καὶ τὰς λεγομένας τροπικῶς ἀβύσσους ὀνομάζει βάθος καὶ τὰ δεδροσωμένα νέφη μῆκος καλεῖ. Ταῦτα δὲ πάντα λογικῶν ἐστι φύσεων σύμβολα διαιρουμένων κόσμοις καὶ σώμασι κατ' ἀναλογίαν τῆς καταστάσεως. 34 3, 22 ἵνα ζήσῃ ἡ ψυχή σου καὶ χάρις ᾖ περὶ σῷ τραχήλῳ Τράχηλον τὴν ψυχὴν εἶπεν τὴν βαστάσασαν τὸν ζυγὸν τοῦ κυρίου. 35 3, 23 ἵνα πορεύῃ πεποιθὼς ἐν εἰρήνῃ πάσας τὰς ὁδούς σου, ὁ δὲ πούς σου οὐ μὴ προσκόψῃ Πρόσκομμά ἐστι φύσεως λογικῆς λογισμὸς ἀκάθαρτος ἢ γνῶσις ψευδής. 36 3, 24 ἐὰν κάθῃ, ἄφοβος ἔσῃ· ἐὰν δὲ 3 καθεύδῃς, ἡδέως ὑπνώσεις 3, 25 καὶ οὐ φοβηθήσῃ πτόησιν ἐπελθοῦσαν οὐδὲ ὁρμὰς ἀσεβῶν ἐπερχομένας Ἐντεῦθεν γινώσκομεν ὅτι ἡ ἐλεημοσύνη περιαιρεῖ φοβερὰς φαντασίας νύκτωρ ἡμῖν ἐπισυμβαινούσας. Τὸ αὐτὸ δὲ ποιεῖ καὶ πραΰτης καὶ ἀοργησία καὶ μακροθυμία καὶ ὅσα πέφυκε ταρασσόμενον καταστέλλειν θυμόν, εἴπερ ἐκ τῆς ταραχῆς τοῦ θυμοῦ τὰ φοβερὰ φάσματα εἴωθε γίνεσθαι. 37 3, 30 μὴ φιλεχθρήσῃς πρὸς ἄνθρωπον μάτην, μή τι εἰς σὲ ἐργάσηται κακόν Αὕτη ἡ πρὸς τὸν πλησίον ἔχθρα ἀπεργάζεταί τινα κακόν. 38 3, 33 κατάρα θεοῦ ἐν οἴκοις ἀσεβῶν· ἐπαύλεις δὲ δικαίων εὐλογοῦνται Ἄγνοια κυρίου ἐν ψυχαῖς ἀσεβῶν· γνῶσις δὲ θεοῦ ἐν ψυχαῖς δικαίων. 39 3, 34 κύριος ὑπερηφάνοις ἀντιτάσσεται· ταπεινοῖς δὲ δίδωσιν χάριν Ὥσπερ τοῖς ἀδίκοις ὁ κύριος ὡς δικαιοσύνη ἀντιτάσσεται καὶ τοῖς ψεύσταις ὡς ἀλήθεια, οὕτω καὶ τοῖς ὑπερηφάνοις ὡς ταπεινοφροσύνη ἀντιτάσσεται. 40 3, 35 δόξαν σοφοὶ κληρονομήσουσιν· οἱ δὲ ἀσεβεῖς ὕψωσαν ἀτιμίαν Γνῶσιν σοφοὶ κληρονομήσουσιν· οἱ δὲ ἀσεβεῖς ἐτίμησαν ἀγνωσίαν. 41 4, 2.1 δῶρον γὰρ ἀγαθὸν δωροῦμαι ὑμῖν Σημειωτέον ἐνταῦθα ὅτι δῶρον ἀγαθὸν ὀνομάζει τὸν νόμον διὰ τὸν λαμβάνοντα δῶρα ἐν κόλπῳ ἀδίκως καὶ μὴ κατευοδούμενον. Ἐκεῖ γὰρ δῶρα ἄδικα τὰ προστάγματα λέγει τοῦ πονηροῦ, ἅπερ ὁ νοῦς δεχόμενος οὐ κατευοδοῦται ἐν ταῖς ὁδοῖς αὐτοῦ. 42 4, 2.2 τὸν ἐμὸν νόμον μὴ ἐγκαταλίπητε Οὗτος ἐγκαταλιμπάνει τὸν νόμον ὁ παραβαίνων αὐτόν. 43 4, 8.1

Exegesis of Proverbs§4

4Engrave her, and she will exalt you. If it is within our power to engrave wisdom, and the virtues are within our power, then the engravings here signify the virtues which exalt the knowledge of God.

That you may give a crown of graces to your head, and a crown of splendor may protect you; the knowledge of God is a crown of grace and a crown of splendor, which also protects us from every passionate thought and every rejected false knowledge.

Listen, son, and receive my words, and the years of your life shall be multiplied, so that many paths of life may become yours. These many paths lead into one path which said, 'I am the way' (John 14:6). The virtues have spoken of many paths that lead to the knowledge of Christ.

In whatever place they may encamp, do not go there; but turn away from them and deviate. The place of this army is wickedness and false knowledge.

For they shall never sleep unless they do evil; sleep is taken away from them, they do not sleep. If the Lord gives sleep to his beloved, the impious are not his beloved; the Lord does not give sleep to the impious. From this it is also possible to show that the demons are not even able to sleep.

For these feed on the grain of impiety; and they get drunk on lawless wine. From this we know what the army of the opposing power is nourished by; for, he says, the grain is impiety and the wine is lawlessness.

But the paths of the righteous shine similarly with light; they go forward and illuminate, until the day is perfected. Our virtues go forward and illuminate us, until the sun of righteousness shines his own day upon us.

But the paths of the impious are dark; they do not know how they stumble. The impious do not even know the way in which they sin, nor do they know the cause from where they stumble, but they do not even know this, that they act lawlessly, which is the mark of ultimate folly.

So that your springs may not fail you, guard them in your heart. He calls the virtues 'springs,' from which the living water is generated, which is the knowledge of Christ. And David says: 'The springs of the waters appeared' (Psalm 114:15).

The foundations of the world were revealed, through the manifestation of our Savior Christ.

Let your eyes see uprightly; and let your eyelids be righteous. Those who have dispassionate thoughts and true doctrines, these see uprightly.

Do not turn to the right nor to the left; but turn your foot from the evil way. For virtue is a mean; therefore they say that courage is between rashness and cowardice. Now, 'right' names not those which are naturally right, but those things which appear to be right because of pleasures; 'for the north, he says, is a harsh wind; but it is called skillful by name.' Saying 'north' symbolically refers to the evil one, from whom all evils were burned upon the earth.

He himself will make your paths straight; and he will lead your journey in peace. This agrees with 'unless the Lord builds a house' (Psalm 127:1) and 'keeps a city' (Psalm 127:1) and so on.

Do not pay attention to a bad woman; for honey turns away from the lips of a prostitute, who for a time moistens your throat, but later you will find it more bitter than bile and more piercing than a double-edged sword. Fat signifies pleasure, from which impurity is brought forth, from which wickedness and ignorance are born, of which nothing more bitter is found among existing things.

For the feet of those using folly descend after death into Hades. She who was above, the prostitute, now named folly.

David prays for those descending after death into Hades, saying, 'Let the living descend into Hades' (Psalm 88:4). For the ways of life do not arrive; but its paths are unstable and not well-known. If the paths are not well-known, it has been well said, 'they do not know how they stumble' (Psalm 119:176).

Make your road long from it; do not approach the doors of her houses. Here he spoke of the mind walking toward virtue. Perhaps virtue protects us by separating us from wickedness.

So that others may not take your life and have mercy on your life. From this we know that the irascible part prevails in the wicked; 'for an irascible spirit, he says, and sharp anger' (Psalm 129:2).

Whenever the flesh of your body is worn away by evils, the wicked through evils...

Greek · §4

περιχαράκωσον αὐτήν, καὶ ὑψώσει σε Εἰ ἐφ' ἡμῖν ἐστι τὸ χαρακῶσαι τὴν σοφίαν, αἱ δὲ ἀρεταί εἰσιν ἐφ' ἡμῖν, οἱ χάρακες ἄρα δηλοῦσιν ἐνταῦθα τὰς ἀρετάς, αἵτινες ὑψοῦσι τὴν γνῶσιν τὴν τοῦ θεοῦ. 44 4, 9 ἵνα δῷ τῇ σῇ κεφαλῇ στέφανον χαρίτων· στεφάνῳ δὲ τρυφῆς ὑπερασπίσῃ σου Στέφανος χαρίτων καὶ στέφανος τρυφῆς ἡ γνῶσίς ἐστιν ἡ τοῦ θεοῦ, ἥτις καὶ ὑπερασπίζει ἡμῶν πάντα λογισμὸν ἐμπαθῆ καὶ πᾶσαν ἀπωθουμένη γνῶσιν ψευδῆς. 45 4, 10 ἄκουε, υἱέ, καὶ δέξαι ἐμοὺς λόγους καὶ πληθυνθήσεταί σοι ἔτη ζωῆς σου, ἵνα σοι γένωνται πολλαὶ ὁδοὶ βίου Αὗται αἱ πολλαὶ ὁδοὶ εἰς μίαν ἄγουσιν ὁδὸν τὴν εἰποῦσαν· «ἐγώ εἰμι ἡ ὁδός.» Πολλὰς δὲ εἴρηκεν ὁδοὺς τὰς ἀρετὰς τὰς φερούσας ἐπὶ τὴν γνῶσιν τὴν τοῦ Χριστοῦ. 46 4, 15 ἐν ᾧ ἂν τόπῳ στρατοπεδεύσωσιν, μὴ ἐπέλθῃς ἐκεῖ· ἔκκλινον δὲ ἀπ' αὐτῶν καὶ παράλλαξον Τούτου τοῦ στρατοῦ ὁ τόπος ἐστὶν ἡ κακία καὶ ἡ ψευδώνυμος γνῶσις. 47 4, 16 οὐ γὰρ μὴ ὑπνώσωσιν, ἐὰν μὴ κακοποιήσωσιν, ἀφῄρηται ὁ ὕπνος ἀπ' αὐτῶν, οὐ κοιμῶνται Εἰ τοῖς ἀγαπητοῖς αὐτοῦ δίδωσιν ὁ κύριος ὕπνον, οἱ δὲ ἀσεβεῖς οὐκ εἰσὶν αὐτοῦ ἀγαπητοί, τοῖς ἀσεβέσιν οὐ δίδωσιν ὕπνον ὁ κύριος. Ἐντεῦθεν δὲ ἔστι καὶ πιθανῶς δεῖξαι ὅτι οὐδὲ καθεύδειν πεφύκασιν οἱ δαίμονες. 48 4, 17 οἵδε γὰρ σιτοῦνται σῖτα ἀσεβείας· οἴνῳ δὲ παρανόμῳ μεθύσκονται Ἐντεῦθεν γινώσκομεν τίσι τρέφεται ὁ στρατὸς τῆς ἀντικειμένης δυνάμεως· σῖτα γάρ, φησίν, αὐτοῦ ἐστιν ἡ ἀσέβεια καὶ οἶνος παρανομία. 49 4, 18 αἱ δὲ ὁδοὶ τῶν δικαίων ὁμοίως φωτὶ λάμπουσιν, προπορεύονται καὶ φωτίζουσιν, ἕως κατορθώσῃ ἡ ἡμέρα Προπορεύονται ἡμῶν αἱ ἀρεταὶ καὶ φωτίζουσιν ἡμᾶς, ἕως ἂν ὁ ἥλιος τῆς δικαιοσύνης τὴν ἑαυτοῦ ἡμέραν ἡμῖν ἐπιλάμψῃ. 50 4, 19 αἱ δὲ ὁδοὶ τῶν ἀσεβῶν σκοτειναί, οὐκ οἴδασιν πῶς προσκόπτουσιν Οὐδὲ τὸν τρόπον πῶς ἁμαρτάνουσιν οἱ ἀσεβεῖς ἐπίστανται οὐδὲ τὴν αἰτίαν γινώσκουσι πόθεν προσκόπτουσιν, ἀλλ' οὐδ' αὐτὸ τοῦτο ἴσασιν ὅτι παρανομοῦσιν, ὅπερ ἐστὶ γνώρισμα τῆς ἐσχάτης ἀνοίας. 51 4, 21 ὅπως μὴ ἐκλίπωσίν σε αἱ πηγαί σου, φύλασσε αὐτὰς ἐν σῇ καρδίᾳ Πηγὰς λέγει τὰς ἀρετάς, ἀφ' ὧν γεννᾶται τὸ ὕδωρ τὸ ζῶν, ὅπερ ἐστὶν ἡ γνῶσις ἡ τοῦ Χριστοῦ. Καὶ ὁ ∆αυίδ· «ὤφθησαν, φησίν, αἱ πηγαὶ τῶν ὑδάτων καὶ ἀνεκαλύφθησαν τὰ θεμέλια τῆς οἰκουμένης», παρὰ τὴν ἐπιδημίαν δηλονότι τοῦ σωτῆρος ἡμῶν Χριστοῦ. 52 4, 25 οἱ ὀφθαλμοί σου ὀρθὰ βλεπέτωσαν· τὰ δὲ βλέφαρά σου νευέτω δίκαια Ὅσοι λογισμοὺς ἔχουσιν ἀπαθεῖς καὶ δόγματα ἀληθῆ, οὗτοι ὁρῶσιν ὀρθά. 53 4, 27 μὴ 4 ἐκκλίνῃς εἰς τὰ δεξιὰ μηδὲ εἰς τὰ ἀριστερά· ἀπόστρεψον δὲ σὸν πόδα ἀπὸ ὁδοῦ κακῆς Ἡ ἀρετὴ γὰρ μεσότης· διὸ καὶ τὴν ἀνδρείαν μεταξὺ τῆς θρασύτητος καὶ τῆς δειλίας εἶναί φασιν. Νῦν δὲ ὀνομάζει δεξιὰ οὐ τὰ φύσει δεξιά, ἀλλὰ τὰ φαινόμενά τισι διὰ τὰς ἡδονὰς δεξιά· «βορέας γάρ, φησίν, σκληρὸς ἄνεμος· ὀνόματι δὲ ἐπιδέξιος καλεῖται», βορέαν λέγων συμβολικῶς τὸν πονηρόν, ἀφ' οὗ ἐξεκαύθη πάντα τὰ κακὰ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς. 54 4, 27β αὐτὸς δὲ ὀρθὰς ποιήσει τὰς τροχιάς σου· τὰς δὲ πορείας σου ἐν εἰρήνῃ προάξει Συμφωνεῖ τούτοις τὸ «ἐὰν μὴ κύριος οἰκοδομήσῃ οἶκον» καὶ «φυλάξῃ πόλιν» καὶ ἑξῆς. 55 5, 3 μὴ πρόσεχε φαύλῃ γυναικί· μέλι γὰρ ἀποστάζει ἀπὸ χειλέων γυναικὸς πόρνης, ἣ πρὸς καιρὸν λιπαίνει σὸν φάρυγγα, 5, 4 ὕστερον μέντοι πικρότερον χολῆς εὑρήσεις καὶ ἠκονημένον μᾶλλον μαχαίρας διστόμου Τὸ λίπος τὴν ἡδονὴν σημαίνει, ἀφ' ἧς τίκτεται ἡ ἀκαθαρσία, ἧς ἔκγονον κακία καὶ ἄγνοια, ὧν οὐδὲν ἔστι πικρότερον ἐν τοῖς γεγονόσιν εὑρεῖν. 56 5, 5.1–2 τῆς γὰρ ἀφροσύνης οἱ πόδες κατάγουσιν τοὺς χρωμένους αὐτῇ μετὰ θανάτου εἰς τὸν ᾅδην Ἣν ἀνωτέρω πόρνην εἶπεν, νῦν ἀφροσύνην ὠνόμασεν. 57 Ὑπὲρ τῶν μετὰ θανάτου καταβαινόντων εἰς τὸν ᾅδην προσεύχεται ὁ ∆αυὶδ λέγων· «καταβήτωσαν εἰς ᾅδου ζῶντες.» 58 5, 6 ὁδοὺς γὰρ ζωῆς οὐκ ἐπέρχεται· σφαλεραὶ δὲ αἱ τροχιαὶ αὐτῆς καὶ οὐκ εὔγνωστοι Εἰ οὐκ εὔγνωστοί εἰσιν αἱ τροχιαί, καλῶς εἴρηται τὸ «οὐκ οἴδασι πῶς προσκόπτουσιν». 59 5, 8 μακρὰν ποίησον ἀπ' αὐτῆς σὴν ὁδόν· μὴ ἐγγίσῃς πρὸς θύραις οἴκων αὐτῆς Ὁδὸν εἶπεν ἐνταῦθα τὸν ἐπὶ τὴν ἀρετὴν ὁδεύοντα νοῦν. Ἢ τάχα τὴν ἀρετὴν προστάσσει χωρίζειν ἡμᾶς ἀπὸ κακίας. 60 5, 9 ἵνα μὴ πρόῃ ἄλλοις ζωήν σου καὶ σὸν βίον ἀνελεήμοσιν Ἐντεῦθεν γινώσκομεν ὅτι τὸ θυμικὸν μέρος ἐπικρατεῖ ἐν τοῖς δαίμοσιν· «ἀνελεήμων γὰρ θυμός, φησίν, καὶ ὀξεῖα ὀργή.» 61 5, 11.2 ἡνίκα ἂν κατατριβῶσιν σάρκες σώματός σου ∆ιὰ τῶν κακιῶν οἱ πονηροὶ

Friendship, Grace, and the Soul§5

5They rub the flesh of Christ and consume the blood, regarding it as common; for he says, 'He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day' (John 6:54).

I was for a little while in all evil in the midst of a church and a synagogue. There was a time when there was no evil and there shall be a time when there shall be no evil; but there was not a time when there was no virtue, nor shall there be a time when there shall be no virtue, for the seeds of virtue are unceasing. And this one also persuades me, having been for a little while and not perfectly in all evil, even the rich man being judged in Hades because of evil and pitying his brothers. But to show mercy happens to be the most beautiful seed of virtue.

Drink waters from your own vessels and from your own wells, a spring. Knowledge is both a well and a spring. To those approaching virtues, it seems to be a deep well, but to the impassive and the pure, a spring. So also the Savior 'was sitting by the well, it was about the sixth hour' (John 4:6). And the Samaritan woman calls the well herself: 'Lord, for you have no bucket and the well is deep' (John 4:11).

Let your spring of water be your own, and rejoice with the wife of your youth (Proverbs 5:18). If the woman here signifies the knowledge of God, this was given to us from youth; thus the knowledge of God was given to us from the beginning, for which Solomon speaks of a more profound teaching in youth: 'For son, let not a bad counsel seize you' (Proverbs 7:7)—saying the devil, as one who counsels wickedly—'leaving behind the teaching of youth and a divine testament.' But forgetfulness and the loss of knowledge and possession are second evils, just as extreme sickness is second to health and death is second to life. It is also to be understood at once that the same knowledge is called both mother and wife and sister. Mother, because he who taught me through her has brought me into being, as Paul did through the gospel in Galatians. Wife, because, being with me, she brings forth virtues and correct doctrines, if 'wisdom is to a man...'

Kill the intellect. And sister, because both I and you have come from the one God and Father: 'for I have said,' he says, 'that your wisdom is to be your sister.'

Let the deer of friendship and the foal of your graces converse with you; and let your own wisdom be esteemed by you and be understood by you at all times; for by behaving in this friendship, one will be many. If 'grace and friendship set free,' but virtue and knowledge set free a rational soul, then grace and friendship are virtue and knowledge. If the deer is born of friendship, and the foal is born of grace, the deer is a symbol of contemplation, and the foal of apatheia; for the one is destined to come from virtues, and the other from knowledge. Virtue and the knowledge of God are proper to the rational nature. To be 'many' is to possess a multitude of contemplations. And a multitude is that which is beneficial.

Do not be much toward a stranger, nor hold on with embraces that are not your own. Regarding 'do not be much toward a stranger,' some think it is said concerning external wisdom, toward which it is not necessary to spend time because of the hidden costs; others will take it concerning evil, and will interpret being 'not much' toward it as follows: that it is not possible for a man, being a man, to entirely abstain from evil thoughts, but it is possible not to linger in them; and he calls the 'foreign embraces' the evil thoughts that seize the soul and do not escape God, the discerner of hearts.

Son, if you have a friend near you, will you give your hand to an enemy? Everyone who guarantees Christ, the friend of the apostles, as righteousness and truth, gives his own soul to those enemies who are accustomed to war against men because of their friendship toward the Savior; for friendship is the spiritual knowledge of God, by which also the holy friends become rich in God. In this way also John the Baptist was a friend of the Bridegroom, and Moses, and the apostles: 'for you do not call me slaves anymore,' he says.

Greek · §5

κατατρίβουσι τὰς σάρκας τὰς τοῦ Χριστοῦ καὶ τὸ αἷμα καταναλίσκουσι κοινὸν αὐτὸ ἡγησάμενοι· «ὁ τρώγων γάρ μου, φησί, τὴν σάρκα καὶ πίνων μου τὸ αἷμα ἔχει ζωὴν αἰώνιον, κἀγὼ ἀναστήσω αὐτὸν τῇ ἐσχάτῃ ἡμέρᾳ.» 62 5, 14 παρ' ὀλίγον ἐγενόμην ἐν παντὶ κακῷ ἐν μέσῳ ἐκκλησίας καὶ συναγωγῆς Ἦν ὅτε οὐκ ἦν κακία καὶ ἔσται ὅτε οὐκ ἔσται· οὐκ ἦν δὲ ὅτε οὐκ ἦν ἀρετή, οὐδὲ ἔσται ὅτε οὐκ ἔσται· ἀνεξάλειπτα γὰρ τὰ σπέρματα τῆς ἀρετῆς. Πείθει δέ με καὶ οὗτος παρ' ὀλίγον καὶ οὐ τελείως ἐν παντὶ κακῷ γεγονὼς καὶ ὁ πλούσιος ἐν τῷ ᾅδῃ διὰ κακίαν κρινόμενος καὶ οἰκτείρων τοὺς ἀδελφούς. Τὸ δὲ ἐλεεῖν σπέρμα τυγχάνει τὸ κάλλιστον τῆς ἀρετῆς. 63 5, 15 πῖνε ὕδατα ἀπὸ σῶν ἀγγείων καὶ ἀπὸ σῶν φρεάτων πηγῆς Ἡ γνῶσις καὶ φρέαρ ἐστὶ καὶ πηγή. Τοῖς μὲν γὰρ προσελθοῦσι ταῖς ἀρεταῖς βαθὺ φρέαρ εἶναι δοκεῖ, τοῖς δὲ ἀπαθέσι καὶ καθαροῖς πηγή. Οὕτω καὶ ὁ σωτὴρ «ἐκαθέζετο ἐπὶ τῇ πηγῇ, ὥρα ἦν ὡσεὶ ἕκτη». Ἡ δὲ Σαμαρεῖτις φρέαρ αὐτὴν ὀνομάζει· «κύριε γάρ, φησίν, οὔτε ἄντλημα ἔχεις καὶ τὸ φρέαρ ἐστὶ βαθύ.» 64 5, 18 ἡ πηγή σου τοῦ ὕδατος ἔστω σοι ἰδία καὶ συνευφραίνου μετὰ γυναικὸς τῆς ἐκ νεότητός σου Εἰ ἡ γυνὴ ἐνταῦθα τὴν τοῦ θεοῦ γνῶσιν σημαίνει, αὕτη δὲ ἐκ νεότητος ἡμῖν ἐδόθη, ἡ γνῶσις ἄρα τοῦ θεοῦ ἀπ' ἀρχῆς ἡμῖν ἐδόθη, ἥντινα ἀνωτέρω διδασκαλίαν ὁ Σολομὼν νεότητος λέγει· «υἱὲ γάρ, φησί, μή σε καταλάβῃ βουλὴ κακή»–τὸν διάβολον λέγων ὡς κακῶς βουλευσάμενον– , «ἡ ἀπολείπουσα διδασκαλίαν νεότητος καὶ διαθήκην θείαν ἐπιλελησμένη.» Λήθη δὲ καὶ ἀπόλειψις γνώσεως καὶ κτήσεως δεύτεραι, ὥσπερ καὶ ὑγείας νόσος ἐσχάτη καὶ ζωῆς θάνατος δεύτερος. Ἅμα δὲ καὶ τοῦτο ἰστέον ὅτιπερ ἡ αὐτὴ γνῶσις καὶ μήτηρ λέγεται καὶ γυνὴ καὶ ἀδελφή. Μήτηρ μὲν ἐπειδὴ ὁ διδάξας με δι' αὐτῆς με γεγέννηκεν, ὡς Παῦλος διὰ τοῦ εὐαγγελίου Γαλάτας. Γυνὴ δὲ ὅτι συνοῦσά μοι τίκτει τὰς ἀρετὰς καὶ δόγματα ὀρθά, εἴγε «ἡ σοφία ἀνδρὶ τίκτει φρόνησιν». Ἀδελφὴ δὲ ὅτι 5 ἐγώ τε καὶ αὐτὴ ἐκ τοῦ ἑνὸς γεγόναμεν θεοῦ καὶ πατρός· «εἶπον γάρ, φησίν, τὴν σοφίαν σὴν ἀδελφὴν εἶναι.» 65 5, 19 ἔλαφος φιλίας καὶ πῶλος σῶν χαρίτων ὁμιλείτω σοι· ἡ δὲ ἰδία ἡγείσθω σου καὶ συνέστω σοι ἐν παντὶ καιρῷ· ἐν γὰρ ταύτῃ τῇ φιλίᾳ συμπεριφερόμενος πολλοστὸς ἔσῃ Εἰ «χάρις καὶ φιλία ἐλευθεροῖ», ἀρετὴ δὲ καὶ γνῶσις ἐλευθεροῖ ψυχὴν λογικήν, ἡ χάρις καὶ ἡ φιλία ἀρετὴ καὶ γνῶσίς ἐστιν. Εἰ δὲ ἡ ἔλαφος ἐκ τῆς φιλίας, ὁ δὲ πῶλος ἐκ τῆς χάριτος γεννᾶται, ἡ μὲν ἔλαφός ἐστιν θεωρίας σύμβολον, ὁ δὲ πῶλος τῆς ἀπαθείας· ἡ μὲν γὰρ ἐξ ἀρετῶν, ἡ δὲ ἐκ τῆς γνώσεως γίνεσθαι πέφυκεν. 66 Ἰδία τῆς λογικῆς φύσεώς ἐστιν ἡ ἀρετὴ καὶ ἡ γνῶσις ἡ τοῦ θεοῦ. 67 Τὸ πολλοστὸν εἶναι τὸ πλῆθός ἐστιν ἔχειν θεωρημάτων. Πλῆθος δέ ἐστιν τῶν ὠφελουμένων. 68 5, 20 μὴ πολὺς ἴσθι πρὸς ἀλλοτρίαν μηδὲ συνέχου ἀγκάλαις ταῖς μὴ ἰδίαις Τὸ «μὴ πολὺς ἴσθι πρὸς ἀλλοτρίαν», τινὲς μὲν περὶ τῆς ἔξωθεν σοφίας νομίσουσι λέγεσθαι, πρὸς ἣν χρονίζειν οὐκ ἀναγκαῖον διὰ τὰς ἐγκεκρυμμένας ἀπάτας· τινὲς δὲ περὶ τῆς κακίας ἐκλήψονται καὶ τὸ μὴ πολὺν εἶναι πρὸς αὐτὴν ἑρμηνεύσουσιν οὕτως, ὅτι οὐ δυνατὸν ἄνθρωπον ὄντα παντάπασιν ἀπέχεσθαι πονηρῶν λογισμῶν, μὴ χρονίζειν μέντοιγε ἐν αὐτοῖς δυνατὸν καὶ ὅτι ἀγκάλας τὰς ἀλλοτρίας τοὺς πονηροὺς λογισμοὺς ὀνομάζει τοὺς συνέχοντας τὴν ψυχὴν καὶ μὴ λανθάνοντας τὸν καρδιογνώστην θεόν. 69 6, 1 υἱέ, ἐὰν ἐγγύῃ σὸν φίλον, παραδώσεις σὴν χεῖρα ἐχθρῷ Πᾶς ὁ τὸν φίλον τῶν ἀποστόλων Χριστὸν ἐγγυώμενος ὡς δικαιοσύνην καὶ ἀλήθειαν παραδίδωσι τὴν ἑαυτοῦ ψυχὴν τοῖς ἐχθροῖς τοῖς εἰωθόσι πολεμεῖν τοῖς ἀνθρώποις διὰ τὴν πρὸς τὸν σωτῆρα φιλίαν· φιλία γάρ ἐστιν πνευματικὴ γνῶσις θεοῦ, καθ' ἣν καὶ οἱ ἅγιοι φίλοι χρηματίζουσι τοῦ θεοῦ. Οὕτω καὶ Ἰωάννης ὁ βαπτιστὴς φίλος ἦν τοῦ νυμφίου καὶ Μωσῆς καὶ οἱ ἀπόστολοι· «οὐκέτι γάρ, φησίν, ὑμᾶς καλῶ δούλους,

The Honey of Contemplation and the Blood of Justice§6

6But friends. 'And provoke,' he says, through prayers and supplications, 'and say I will pray for my friend': 'Keep me, Lord, from the hand of a sinner' (Ps 118:4) and 'deliver me from an unrighteous man' (Ps 140:5) and 'do not deliver me into the hands of those who afflict me, because for your sake we are being killed all day long; we have been counted as sheep for the slaughter' (Ps 44:22).

Do not give sleep to your eyes, nor let a watchman stand over your eyelids. Sleep is sin in its activity; but drowsiness is the first unclean thought established in the soul. Therefore also before drowsiness, the Law prevents sleep: 'For it was said,' he says, 'to the ancients: You shall not murder' (Ex 20:13); but I say: You shall not be angry. And here, for it seems to me, the Law prevents sleep, but the Gospel of Christ prevents drowsiness, if indeed the one cuts off sin in its activity, while the other cuts off the evil first established according to the intellect.

Go to the ant, O sluggard, and observe its ways and become wiser than it (Prov 6:6); for even without a farmer being there, and not having one to compel him, and not being under a master, it prepares its food for the summer. Note here that it calls the natural and harmonious movement of the ant wisdom; for indeed the wiser is called wiser than the wise. And how could it not be under a master, if all things are slaves of God? Or is God ever called a master in two ways, as Creator and as known? Therefore also Paul writes: 'But now, having been freed from sin, having become slaves to God' (Rom 6:22), clearly according to virtue and knowledge, 'have your fruit unto sanctification, the end being eternal life.' And if the ant is unworthy of such an end, being irrational, it clearly is also free from such a slavery; so it is well said that the ant is not under a master according to this type of mastery, but is again under a master as having God as Creator.

Go to the bee... of which kings and commoners bring their labors for health. Through the ant, it seems Solomon outlines the practical way for us, but through the bee, he signifies the contemplation of events and of the one who did them, which both the pure and the impure, and the wise and the un-

They are brought toward the health of the soul. And it seems to me that the herald of these things holds the word of the matter, but the honey remaining to him is a symbol of their contemplation. For the herald will pass away: 'for the heaven and the earth, he says, will pass away' (Matt 24:35); but the honey will not pass away. For neither will the words of our Savior Christ pass away, concerning which Solomon says: 'Words sweet as honey are good, and their sweetness is healing to the soul' (Prov 16:24); and David: 'How sweet, he says, are your words to my throat, sweeter than honey to my mouth' (Ps 19:10).

The result of the labor is named labor. Until when, sluggard, will you lie down? When will you arise from sleep? This sleep only happens to a rational soul; for here it signifies wickedness and ignorance, of which watchfulness makes something 'like a sparrow chirping on a roof.' Poverty happens to you like an evil traveler, and want like a good runner. Poverty is a deprivation of knowledge; and want is a scarcity of virtues.

He himself blows with the eye, but it signifies the foot, and he teaches by blowing with the fingers. Beware here, lest the opponents, through such movements of the body, recognize their own thoughts being nourished in us, since we have believed only God to be the Knower of Hearts. An eye of insolence, an unjust tongue, hands pouring out righteous blood. Everyone who eats the flesh of Christ and drinks his blood acquires righteous blood, the deprivation of which is said to cause a rational soul to die; 'for the soul, he says, that sins shall die' (Ezek 18:4).

And if there is righteous blood, it is evident that there is also unjust blood, which those who devour the given food among the Ethiopians gather within themselves and are nourished by the bread of falsehood, consume. And those sacrificing to foreign gods consume their own righteous blood; but those offering themselves as a sacrifice to the only God destroy unjust blood. And certainly, the generation of righteous blood will follow the corruption of unjust blood, and the generation of unjust blood will follow the corruption of righteous blood. But this is destined to happen now; from the beginning it was not so; for righteousness did not come about through the corruption of wickedness, just as health does not come about through the corruption of disease, of the...

Greek · §6

ἀλλὰ φίλους.» «Παρόξυνε δέ», φησίν, διὰ προσευχῶν καὶ δεήσεων, «καὶ τὸν φίλον σου ὃν ἐνεγυήσω» λέγων· «φύλαξόν με, κύριε, ἐκ χειρὸς ἁμαρτωλοῦ» καὶ «ἀπὸ ἀνδρὸς ἀδίκου ῥῦσαί με» καὶ «ἕνεκα τῶν ἐχθρῶν μου μὴ παραδῷς με εἰς χεῖρας θλιβόντων με», «ὅτι ἕνεκέν σου θανατούμεθα ὅλην τὴν ἡμέραν· ἐλογίσθημεν ὡς πρόβατα σφαγῆς». 70 6, 4 μὴ δῷς ὕπνον σοῖς ὄμμασιν μηδὲ ἐπινυστάξῃς σοῖς βλεφάροις Ὕπνος μέν ἐστι ψυχῆς ἡ κατ' ἐνέργειαν ἁμαρτία· νυσταγμὸς δὲ τὸ πρῶτον ἐν τῇ ψυχῇ συνιστάμενον ἀκάθαρτον νόημα. ∆ιὸ καὶ πρὸ τοῦ νυσταγμοῦ ὁ λόγος τὸν ὕπνον κωλύει· «ἐρρέθη γάρ, φησί, τοῖς ἀρχαίοις· οὐ φονεύσεις· ἐγὼ δὲ λέγω· οὐκ ὀργισθήσῃ.» Καὶ ἐνταῦθα γὰρ φαίνεταί μοι τὸν ὕπνον κωλύων ὁ νόμος, τὸν δὲ νυσταγμὸν τὸ εὐαγγέλιον τοῦ Χριστοῦ, εἴγε ὁ μὲν περικόπτει τὴν κατ' ἐνέργειαν ἁμαρτίαν, τὸ δὲ τὴν κατὰ διάνοιαν πρῶτον συνισταμένην κακίαν. 71 6, 6 ἴθι πρὸς τὸν μύρμηκα, ὦ ὀκνηρέ, καὶ ζήλωσον ἰδὼν τὰς ὁδοὺς αὐτοῦ καὶ γενοῦ ἐκείνου σοφώτερος· 6, 7 ἐκείνῳ γὰρ γεωργίου μὴ ὑπάρχοντος μηδὲ τὸν ἀναγκάζοντα ἔχων μηδὲ ὑπὸ δεσπότην ὤν, 6, 8.1 ἑτοιμάζεται θέρους τὴν τροφήν Σημειωτέον ἐνταῦθα ὅτι τὴν τοῦ μύρμηκος φυσικὴν καὶ ἐναρμόνιον κίνησιν σοφίαν καλεῖ· καὶ γὰρ ὁ σοφώτερος σοφοῦ σοφώτερος λέγεται. Πῶς δὲ καὶ οὐκ ἔστιν ὑπὸ δεσπότην, εἴγε τὰ σύμπαντα δοῦλα τοῦ θεοῦ; Ἢ μήποτε ὁ θεὸς δεσπότης λέγεται διχῶς, ὡς δημιουργὸς καὶ ὡς γινωσκόμενος. ∆ιὸ καὶ ὁ Παῦλος γράφει· «νυνὶ δὲ ἐλευθερωθέντες μὲν ἀπὸ τῆς ἁμαρτίας, δουλωθέντες δὲ τῷ θεῷ», δηλονότι κατ' ἀρετὴν καὶ γνῶσιν, «ἔχετε τὸν καρπὸν ὑμῶν εἰς ἁγιασμόν, τὸ δὲ τέλος ζωὴν αἰώνιον.» Εἰ δὲ τοῦ τοιούτου τέλους ἄμοιρός ἐστιν ὁ μύρμηξ, ἄλογος ὤν, δηλονότι καὶ τῆς τοιαύτης δουλείας ἐλεύθερος, καλῶς οὖν λέγεται μὴ εἶναι ὑπὸ δεσπότην ὁ μύρμηξ κατὰ ταύτην τὴν δεσποτείαν καὶ εἶναι πάλιν ὑπὸ δεσπότην ὡς δημιουργὸν ἔχων τὸν θεόν. 72 6, 8α.1 ἢ πορεύθητι πρὸς τὴν μέλισσαν ... 6, 8β.1 ἧς τοὺς πόνους 6 βασιλεῖς καὶ ἰδιῶται πρὸς ὑγείαν προσφέρονται ∆ιὰ μὲν τοῦ μύρμηκος ἔοικεν ὁ Σολομὼν τὴν πρακτικὴν ὁδὸν ἡμῖν ὑπογράφειν, διὰ δὲ τῆς μελίσσης τὴν θεωρίαν τῶν γεγονότων σημαίνειν καὶ αὐτοῦ τοῦ ποιήσαντος, ἥντινα καὶ καθαροὶ καὶ ἀκάθαρτοι καὶ σοφοὶ καὶ ἀνόητοι πρὸς τὴν τῆς ψυχῆς ὑγείαν προσφέρονται. Καὶ φαίνεται μέν μοι ὁ κηρὸς αὐτῶν τῶν πραγμάτων λόγον ἐπέχειν, τὸ δ' ἐναποκείμενον αὐτῷ μέλι σύμβολον εἶναι τῆς θεωρίας αὐτῶν. Καὶ ὁ μὲν κηρὸς παρελεύσεται· «ὁ οὐρανὸς γάρ, φησίν, καὶ ἡ γῆ παρελεύσεται»· τὸ δὲ μέλι οὐ παρελεύσεται. Οὐδὲ γὰρ οἱ λόγοι παρελεύσονται τοῦ σωτῆρος ἡμῶν Χριστοῦ, περὶ ὧν λέγει ὁ Σολομών· «κηρία μέλιτος λόγοι καλοί, γλύκασμα δὲ αὐτῶν ἴασις ψυχῆς»· καὶ ὁ ∆αυίδ· «ὡς γλυκέα, φησί, τῷ λάρυγγί μου τὰ λόγιά σου, ὑπὲρ μέλι τῷ στόματί μου.» 73 Τὸ ἀποτέλεσμα τοῦ πόνου πόνον ὠνόμασεν. 74 6,09 ἕως τίνος, ὀκνηρέ, κατάκεισαι; πότε δὲ ἐξ ὕπνου ἐγερθήσῃ; Ὁ ὕπνος οὗτος μόνῃ πέφυκεν ἐπισυμβαίνειν ψυχῇ λογικῇ· σημαίνει γὰρ ἐνταῦθα κακίαν καὶ ἀγνωσίαν, ὧν ἡ ἀγρυπνία ποιεῖ τινα «ὡς στρουθίον μονάζον ἐπὶ δώματι». 75 6, 11 εἶτ' ἐμπαραγίνεταί σοι ὥσπερ κακὸς ὁδοιπόρος ἡ πενία καὶ ἡ ἔνδεια ὥσπερ ἀγαθὸς δρομεύς Πενία ἐστὶ στέρησις γνώσεως· ἔνδεια δὲ σπάνις τῶν ἀρετῶν. 76 6, 13 ὁ δ' αὐτὸς ἐννεύει ὀφθαλμῷ, σημαίνει δὲ ποδί, διδάσκει δὲ ἐννεύμασιν δακτύλων Προσεκτέον ἐνταῦθα μήποτε ἄρα διὰ τῶν τοιούτων κινημάτων τοῦ σώματος γινώσκουσιν οἱ ἀντικείμενοι τοὺς ἑαυτῶν λογισμοὺς ἐν ἡμῖν τρεφομένους, ἐπιδὴ καρδιογνώστην μόνον τὸν θεὸν πεπιστεύκαμεν εἶναι. 77 6, 17 ὀφθαλμὸς ὑβριστοῦ, γλῶσσα ἄδικος, χεῖρες ἐκχέουσαι αἶμα δίκαιον Πᾶς ὁ τρώγων τὰς σάρκας τοῦ Χριστοῦ καὶ πίνων τὸ αἷμα αὐτοῦ κτᾶται αἷμα δίκαιον, οὗ στερισκομένη λέγεται ἀποθνῄσκειν ψυχὴ λογική· «ψυχὴ γάρ, φησίν, ἡ ἁμαρτάνουσα αὐτὴ ἀποθανεῖται.» Εἰ δέ ἐστιν αἷμα δίκαιον, ἔστιν δηλονότι καὶ αἷμα ἄδικον, ὅπερ συνάγουσιν ἐν ἑαυτοῖς οἱ κατεσθίοντες τὸ δεδομένον βρῶμα λαοῖς τοῖς Αἰθίοψιν καὶ τρεφόμενοι τῷ ἄρτῳ τοῦ ψεύδους. Καὶ οἱ μὲν θύοντες θεοῖς ἀλλοτρίοις τὸ δίκαιον ἑαυτῶν αἷμα καταναλίσκουσιν· οἱ δὲ ἑαυτοὺς θυσίαν προσάγοντες τῷ μόνῳ θεῷ τὸ ἄδικον διαφθείρουσιν αἷμα. Ἀκολουθήσει δὲ πάντως τῇ μὲν φθορᾷ τοῦ ἀδίκου αἵματος ἡ γένεσις τοῦ δικαίου αἵματος καὶ τῇ φθορᾷ τοῦ δικαίου αἵματος ἡ γένεσις τοῦ ἀδίκου αἵματος. Ἀλλὰ τοῦτο μὲν νῦν γενέσθαι πέφυκεν, ἀπ' ἀρχῆς δὲ οὐχ οὕτως· οὐ γὰρ κατὰ φθορὰν κακίας ὑπέστη δικαιοσύνη, ὡς οὐδὲ κατὰ φθορὰν νόσου ὑγεία, τῶν

Theft, Adultery, and the Nature of Wisdom§7

7Children being formed with health from the beginning. A false witness kindles lies and sends judgments among brothers. Brothers are those having the gift of adoption and being under the same father, Christ, whom the witness of injustice attempts to divide, casting tribulations and judgments among them.

And 'kindles', I think, is placed because of the passionate thoughts igniting the mind toward anger and hatred, and desire toward shameful works. These thoughts the holy Paul also named the fiery arrows of the evil one, piercing the soul and working death (Ephesians 6:16).

'Guard, son, the laws of your father and do not reject the statutes of your mother...' (Proverbs 6:20-22). Whenever you walk, lead her, and let her be with you. The mother is proposed to be led, who is the wisdom having begotten us according to God. Yet it was necessary for him to say the father; for he is more suitable for being in union with the son. But since it is not possible for him to know God before the contemplation of things having happened, for this reason he proposes the mother and not the father to be led, so that through the mother the son might see the father; for if she does not himself beget him, he does not see the light, which is the knowledge of him, the God.

That the commandment of the law is a lamp and light and way of life, a reproof and instruction. That the commandment of the law is a lamp and light. And perhaps the Old Testament is a lamp: 'for he was the lamp that was burning and shining' (Zechariah 4:6); but the New Testament is light: 'for I, he says, am the light of the world' (John 8:12).

For the honor of a prostitute is as much as one loaf. For such is the pleasure of wickedness as much as one loaf.

Will someone release fire in his bosom and not burn his clothes? Or will someone walk upon coals of fire and burn his feet? This one releases the fire in the bosom, the one forgiving the unchaste thought in the heart, corrupting the righteous thoughts through lingering. And this one walks upon the coals, the one destroying his own soul through the energy of sin.

Thus the one who entered toward an unchaste woman will not be acquitted, nor everyone touching her. An unchaste woman speaks of wickedness; for the devil is the man of her, who begets with her the lawless sons.

And the Savior says in the Gospels to the Jews: 'You are of your father the devil' (John 8:44).

It is no wonder if someone catches a thief; for he steals in order to fill a hungry soul. If he is caught, he will pay sevenfold and, by giving all his possessions, he will save himself. But if he is caught by true knowledge, he will lay aside all false knowledge, he who formerly stole through the need of knowledge from the foolishness made mad by our Savior's wisdom.

And the adulteress, through the need of wits, procures destruction for her soul. Everyone who has shared in the evil of the adulteress is a partaker of the devil, the first who rejoiced in evil and who from the beginning has been a murderer.

For the mind of a man full of zeal for it will show no mercy in the day of judgment. There he shows that we will have the devil as an accuser of the things done to us in the day of judgment. And this also the holy Paul says: 'so that the one against us, having nothing to say, may appear nothing trivial concerning us' (2 Cor 4:2).

'Son, honor the Lord and you will be strong; but fear no other besides him' (Prov 3:21). If through the transgression of the law someone dishonors God, by doing so he makes it manifest that he dishonors the law and God.

I have said that your wisdom is a sister; make practical understanding known to yourself. Our sister is wisdom, because he who made the incorporeal nature is Father and has made this. And there he speaks of wisdom not as the Son of God, but as the contemplation of bodies and incorporeal things, and of the judgment and providence in them, the vision of which is understanding, and knowledge, and instruction, and discernment.

In order that he may keep you from an alien and evil woman, if she should strike you with words of charm. The words that strike with charm are passions of thought.

For peeping from a window of her house into the streets, seeing the youth of any of the foolish children, lacking in wits, passing by a corner in the passages of her house, and speaking in the evening darkness, whenever the nocturnal silence is thick, the woman meets him having a prostitute-like appearance, which causes the hearts of the young to fall away. He now calls the flesh of the man a window; for through this the evil one works his snares for those who wish to do so.

Greek · §7

παιδίων μετὰ τῆς ὑγείας ἀπ' ἀρχῆς τικτομένων. 78 6, 19 ἐκκαίει ψεύδη μάρτυς ἄδικος καὶ ἐπιπέμπει κρίσεις ἀνὰ μέσον ἀδελφῶν Ἀδελφοί εἰσιν οἱ τὸ τῆς υἱοθεσίας ἔχοντες χάρισμα καὶ ὑπὸ τὸν αὐτὸν ὄντες πατέρα Χριστόν, οὓς χωρίζειν ἐπιχειρεῖ ὁ μάρτυς τῆς ἀδικίας, ταραχὰς ἐν αὐτοῖς ἐμβάλλων καὶ κρίσεις. Τὸ δὲ ἐκκαίει, ὡς οἶμαι, προστέθειται διὰ τοὺς ἐμπαθεῖς λογισμοὺς ἀνάπτοντας θυμὸν μὲν πρὸς ὀργὴν καὶ μῖσος, ἐπιθυμίαν δὲ πρὸς αἰσχρὰς ἐργασίας. Τούτους τοὺς λογισμοὺς καὶ ὁ ἅγιος Παῦλος ὠνόμασεν τοῦ πονηροῦ βέλη πεπυρωμένα τιτρώσκοντα τὴν ψυχὴν καὶ θάνατον ἐργαζόμενα. 79 6, 20 φύλασσε, υἱέ, νόμους πατρός σου καὶ μὴ ἀπώσῃ θεσμοὺς μητρός σου ... 6, 22.1 ἡνίκα ἂν περιπατῇς, ἐπάγου αὐτήν, καὶ μετὰ σοῦ ἔστω Τὴν μητέρα προστάσσει ἐπάγεσθαι, ἥτις ἐστὶν ἡ σοφία γεννῶσα ἡμᾶς κατὰ θεόν. Καίτοι ἐχρῆν αὐτὸν εἰπεῖν τὸν πατέρα· οὗτος γὰρ πρὸς τὸ συνεῖναι τῷ υἱῷ μᾶλλον ἐπιτηδειότερος. Ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ οὐ δυνατὸν αὐτὸν γνῶναι τὸν θεὸν πρὸ τῆς τῶν γεγονότων θεωρίας, τούτου χάριν τὴν μητέρα καὶ οὐ τὸν πατέρα προστάσσει ἐπάγεσθαι, ἵνα διὰ τῆς μητρὸς ὁ υἱὸς ἴδῃ τὸν πατέρα· ἐὰν γὰρ αὐτὴ μὴ γεννήσῃ αὐτόν, οὐ βλέπει τὸ φῶς, ὅπερ ἐστὶ ἡ γνῶσις αὐτοῦ τοῦ θεοῦ. 80 6, 23 ὅτι λύχνος ἐντολὴ νόμου καὶ φῶς καὶ ὁδὸς ζωῆς, ἔλεγχος καὶ παιδεία Ὅτι ἡ ἐντολὴ τοῦ νόμου λύχνος ἐστὶ καὶ φῶς. Καὶ τάχα λύχνος ἐστὶν ἡ παλαιὰ διαθήκη· «ἐκεῖνος γὰρ ἦν ὁ 7 λύχνος ὁ καιόμενος καὶ φαίνων»· φῶς δὲ ἡ νέα διαθήκη· «ἐγὼ γάρ, φησίν, εἰμὶ τὸ φῶς τοῦ κόσμου.» 81 6, 26.1 τιμὴ γὰρ πόρνης ὅση καὶ ἑνὸς ἄρτου Τοσαύτη γάρ ἐστιν ἡ ἡδονὴ τῆς κακίας ὅση καὶ ἑνὸς ἄρτου. 82 6, 27 ἀποδήσει τις πῦρ ἐν κόλπῳ, τὰ δὲ ἱμάτια οὐ κατακαύσει; 6, 28 ἢ περιπατήσει τις ἐπ' ἀνθράκων πυρός, τοὺς δὲ πόδακατακαύσει; Οὗτος ἀποδεσμεῖ τὸ πῦρ ἐν τῷ κόλπῳ, ὁ συγχωρῶν τὸν ἀκάθαρτον λογισμὸν ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ χρονίζοντα διαφθείρειν τοὺς ὀρθοὺς λογισμούς. Καὶ οὗτος ἐπὶ τῶν ἀνθράκων περιπατεῖ, ὁ διὰ τῆς κατ' ἐνέργειαν ἁμαρτίας τὴν ἑαυτοῦ ψυχὴν ἀπολλύων. 83 6, 29 οὕτως ὁ εἰσελθὼν πρὸς γυναῖκα ὕπανδρον οὐκ ἀθῳωθήσεται οὐδὲ πᾶς ὁ ἁπτόμενος αὐτῆς Γυναῖκα ὕπανδρον τὴν κακίαν λέγει· ταύτης γὰρ ἀνὴρ ὁ διάβολος ὁ γεννῶν μετ' αὐτῆς τοὺς παρανόμους υἱούς. Καὶ ὁ σωτὴρ δὲ ἐν τοῖς εὐαγγελίοις πρὸς τοὺς Ἰουδαίους· «ὑμεῖς, φησίν, ἐκ τοῦ πατρὸς ὑμῶν τοῦ διαβόλου ἐστέ.» 84 6, 30 οὐ θαυμαστὸν ἐάν τις ἁλῷ κλέπτων· κλέπτει γὰρ ἵνα ἐμπλήσῃ ψυχὴν πεινῶσαν· 6, 31 ἐὰν δὲ ἁλῷ, ἀποτείσει ἑπταπλάσια καὶ πάντα τὰ ὑπάρχοντα αὐτοῦ δοὺς ῥύσεται ἑαυτόν Ἐὰν δὲ ἁλῷ ὑπὸ γνώσεως ἀληθοῦς, ἀποθήσεται πᾶσαν γνῶσιν ψευδῆ ὁ πρότερον δι' ἔνδειαν γνώσεως κλέπτων ἀπὸ τῆς μωρανθείσης ὑπὸ τοῦ σωτῆρος ἡμῶν σοφίας. 85 6, 32 ὁ δὲ μοιχὸς δι' ἔνδειαν φρενῶν ἀπώλειαν τῇ ψυχῆ αὐτοῦ περιποιεῖται Πᾶς ὁ κοινωνήσας τῇ κακίᾳ μοιχός ἐστιν τοῦ διαβόλου τοῦ πρώτου γήμαντος τὴν κακίαν καὶ ἀπ' ἀρχῆς γεγονότος ἀνθρωποκτόνου. 86 6, 34 μεστὸς γὰρ ζήλου θυμὸς ἀνδρὸς αὐτῆς οὐ φείσεται ἐν ἡμέρᾳ κρίσεως Ἐνταῦθα δείκνυσιν ὅτι τὸν διάβολον ἕξομεν τῶν πεπραγμένων ἡμῖν κατήγορον ἐν ἡμέρᾳ τῆς κρίσεως. Τοῦτο δὲ καὶ ὁ ἅγιος Παῦλός φησιν· «ἵν' ὁ ἐξ ἐναντίας ἐντραπῇ μηδὲν ἔχων τι λέγειν περὶ ἡμῶν φαῦλον.» 87 7, 1α υἱέ, τίμα τὸν κύριον καὶ ἰσχύσεις· πλὴν δὲ αὐτοῦ μὴ φοβοῦ ἄλλον Εἰ διὰ τῆς παραβάσεως τοῦ νόμου τις τὸν θεὸν ἀτιμάζει, διὰ τοῦ ποιεῖ δηλονότι τὸν νόμον τιμᾷ τὸν θεὸν. 88 7, 4 εἶπον τὴν σοφίαν σὴν ἀδελφὴν εἶναι· τὴν δὲ φρόνησιν γνώριμον περιποίησαι σεαυτῷ Ἀδελφὴ ἡμῶν ἡ σοφία ἐστίν, διότι ὁ ποιήσας τὴν ἀσώματον φύσιν πατὴρ καὶ ταύτην πεποίηκεν. Σοφίαν δὲ ἐνταῦθα λέγει οὐ τὸν υἱὸν τοῦ θεοῦ, ἀλλὰ τὴν θεωρίαν σωμάτων καὶ ἀσωμάτων καὶ τῆς ἐν αὐτοῖς κρίσεως καὶ προνοίας, ἧς εἶδός ἐστι καὶ ἡ φρόνησις καὶ ἡ γνῶσις καὶ ἡ παιδεία καὶ ἡ σύνεσις. 89 7, 5 ἵνα σε τηρήσῃ ἀπὸ γυναικὸς ἀλλοτρίας καὶ πονηρᾶς, ἐάν σε λόγοις τοῖς πρὸς χάριν ἐμβάληται Οἱ πρὸς χάριν ἐμβαλλόμενοι λόγοι οἱ ἐμπαθεῖς εἰσι λογισμοί. 90 7, 6 ἀπὸ γὰρ θυρίδος ἐκ τοῦ οἴκου αὐτῆς εἰς τὰς πλατείας παρακύπτουσα, 7, 7 ὃν ἂν ἴδῃ τῶν ἀφρόνων τέκνων νεανίαν ἐνδεῆ φρενῶν 7, 8 παραπορευόμενον παρὰ γωνίαν ἐν διόδοις οἴκων αὐτῆς 7, 9 καὶ λαλοῦντα ἐν σκότει ἑσπερινῷ, ἡνίκα ἂν ἡσυχία νυκτερινὴ ᾖ καὶ γνοφώδης, 7, 10 ἡ δὲ γυνὴ συναντᾷ αὐτῷ εἶδος ἔχουσα πορνικόν, ἣ ποιεῖ νέων ἐξίπτασθαι καρδίας Τὴν σάρκα τοῦ ἀνθρώπου θυρίδα νῦν ὀνομάζει· διὰ γὰρ ταύτης ὁ πονηρὸς τὰς ἀπάτας τοῖς ἀνθρώποις ἐργάζεται τοῖς βουλομένοις

Exegesis of Proverbs§8

8To walk the broad, spacious road that leads to destruction. But here, one must attend to what Solomon says concerning vice: that it does not lead a man initially onto the broad road, nor does it force him to walk through the passages of its house, or approach a corner, or speak in the evening darkness; rather, if he sees someone giving himself over to pleasures, there immediately 'an appearance having met him, it is a fornication, which causes the hearts of the young to wander' (Prov 7:5).

an state is what is called the soul's condition, through which, being unfolded, sin is accomplished through the body. 92 it wanders for a certain time outside, a time in the squares, sitting by every corner, aving taken hold, it loved him. Those wandering in the squares taking up thoughts of adultery, fornication, and theft; 8 but those wandering outside of these move according to nature, seeking the bed of men and taking up fantasies of other forbidden things.

f of the thoughts some are pure and others are unclean—and if of lines the straight ones are called straight, but the bent ones are not straight, a corner being a bent straight line—then an unclean thought is a mental corner. Therefore, vice sitting by every corner signifies its deceiving the soul through all the unclean thoughts. And a demonic passion is an impression moved toward shameful work, calling out the soul.

, 15 'Because of this I went out to meet you; longing for your face, I have found you' (Prov 7:15); 7, 16 'I have spread my bed with curtains; I have made my couch with cushions of Egypt' (Prov 7:16); 7, 17 'I have torn my veil with saffron; my house with cinnamon' (Prov 7:17). Vice seeks to disgrace the face of our soul through the curtains, the bed, the cushions, the saffron, and the cinnamon, which are various evil passions as they occur according to the inventors of evils.

, 19 'For my man is not at home; he has gone on a long journey' (Prov 7:19); 7, 20 'having taken a bag of silver in his hand; after many days he will return to his house' (Prov 7:20). If it says 'after many days he will return to his house,' Paul, having intensely scrutinized the economy, writes of the last enemy.

The overcoming of death. Regarding the one who followed it, having been seduced: there are three kinds of erithion, namely the kepphos, the white one, and the one called the asterias. Of these, the kepphos mates difficultly and pours out; for it both cries out and pours blood, as they say, letting it flow from the eyes, and it gives birth poorly and painfully. These things, indeed, we have set down from Aristotle's histories concerning animals.

But it seems that the Scripture has fashioned its wording from the history of the kepphos bird to mean the woman being persuaded by a prostitute, being seduced and becoming like a bird through lawlessness. [For example, being moved.] For having wounded many, it has cast down them, and they are countless, whom it has murdered; Titroskes mocks us with thoughts, but it murders with sins.

For it is upon the high edges; and in the midst of the soft ones, courage stands between recklessness and cowardice. For it lies in wait by the gates of the powerful; and in the entrances it is praised. Wisdom is said to be praised sometimes in exits and sometimes in entrances, that is, beside those coming out from evil and entering into virtue; for he names the one coming out and the one entering as exit and entrance. Often we have noted this habit of his, that from the states he names those who possess the states, that is, the best ones or the worst ones.

Perceive, you who are without malice, the craftiness; but you who are uneducated, put a heart within you. Here, Cardia has spoken of virtue as that which accompanies the heart.

Take instruction and not silver, and knowledge instead of tested gold... For wisdom is better than precious stones. There, Wisdom took as a genus the instruction and the knowledge; for having placed instruction and knowledge before, she leads into it; 'for wisdom is better than precious stones' (Proverbs 8:11), as instruction and knowledge are contained within wisdom, which is first the gift of the Holy Spirit, if indeed 'a word of wisdom is given through the Spirit' (1 Corinthians 2:13). And this same thing is also called the spirit of adoption (Romans 8:15).

The fear of the Lord hates injustice, and insolence and pride, and the ways of the wicked (Proverbs 8:13). Note that he speaks of injustice and insolence and pride regarding the unrighteous, the insolent, and the proud, from the worst ways.

Greek · §8

ὁδεύειν τὴν πλατεῖαν ὁδὸν καὶ εὐρύχωρον καὶ ἀπάγουσαν ἐπὶ τὴν ἀπώλειαν. Ἀλλ' ἐνταῦθα προσεκτέον τί φησιν ὁ Σολομὼν περὶ τῆς κακίας, ὅτι οὐχ αὕτη τὸν ἄνθρωπον ἐν ἀρχαῖς ἐπὶ τὴν πλατεῖαν ἀπάγει οὐδ' ἀναγκάζει πορεύεσθαι ἐν διόδοις οἴκων αὐτῆς ἢ προσεγγίζειν γωνίᾳ ἢ λαλεῖν ἐν σκότει ἑσπερινῷ, ἀλλ' ἐὰν ἴδῃ τινὰ ἑαυτὸν ἐπιδιδόντα ταῖς ἡδοναῖς, εὐθὺς «συναντᾷ αὐτῷ εἶδος ἔχουσα πορνικόν, ἣ ποιεῖ νέων ἐξίπτασθαι καρδίας». 91 Ἡσυχίαν νυκτερινὴν καὶ γνοφώδη τὴν ἀκάθαρτον κατάστασιν ὠνόμασε τῆς ψυχῆς, καθ' ἣν ἀναπτομένη τὴν ἁμαρτίαν διὰ τοῦ σώματος κατεργάζεται. 92 7, 12 χρόνον γάρ τινα ἔξω ῥέμβεται, χρόνον δὲ ἐν πλατείαις, παρὰ πᾶσαν γωνίαν ἐνεδρεύει, 7, 13.1 εἶτα ἐπιλαβομένη ἐφίλησεν αὐτόν Οἱ μὲν ἐν ταῖς πλατείαις ῥεμβόμενοι μοιχείας καὶ πορνείας καὶ κλοπῆς λαμβάνουσι 8 λογισμούς· οἱ δὲ ἔξω τούτων ῥεμβόμενοι παρὰ φύσιν κινοῦνται ἀρρένων κοίτην ἐπιζητοῦντες καὶ ἄλλων τινῶν ἀπειρημένων πραγμάτων φαντασίας λαμβάνοντες. 93 Εἰ τῶν λογισμῶν οἱ μὲν καθαροί εἰσιν, οἱ δὲ ἀκάθαρτοι καὶ εἰ μὲν τῶν γραμμῶν αἱ μὲν εὐθεῖαι καλοῦνται, αἱ δὲ κεκλασμέναι εὐθεῖαι, γωνία δέ ἐστιν κεκλασμένη εὐθεῖα, γωνία ἄρα νοητή ἐστιν ἀκάθαρτος λογισμός. Τὸ οὖν παρὰ πᾶσαν γωνίαν ἐνεδρεύειν τὴν κακίαν δηλοῖ τὸ διὰ πάντων τῶν ἀκαθάρτων λογισμῶν αὐτὴν ἐξαπατᾶν τὴν ψυχήν. Φίλημα δὲ δαιμονιῶδές ἐστιν νόημα ἐμπαθὲς πρὸς αἰσχρὰν ἐργασίαν τὴν ψυχὴν ἐκκαλούμενον. 94 7, 15 ἕνεκα τούτου ἐξῆλθον εἰς συνάντησίν σου· ποθοῦσα τὸ σὸν πρόσωπον εὕρηκά σε· 7, 16 κειρίαις τέτακα τὴν κλίνην μου· ἀμφιτάποις δὲ ἔστρωκα τοῖς ἀπ' Αἰγύπτου· 7, 17 διέρραγκα τὴν κοίτην μου κρόκῳ· τὸν δὲ οἶκόν μου κινναμώμῳ Ἡ κακία ζητεῖ τὸ πρόσωπον τῆς ψυχῆς ἡμῶν καταισχῦναι διὰ τῶν κειριῶν καὶ τῆς κλίνης καὶ τῶν ἀμφιτάπων καὶ τοῦ κρόκου καὶ τοῦ κινναμώμου, ἅπερ κακὰ καὶ διάφορα πάθη σημαίνει παρὰ τοῖς ἐφευρεταῖς γινόμενα τῶν κακῶν. 95 7, 19 οὐ γὰρ πάρεστιν ὁ ἀνήρ μου ἐν οἴκῳ· πεπόρευται δὲ ὁδὸν μακράν, 7, 20 ἔνδεσμον ἀργυρίου λαβὼν ἐν χειρὶ αὐτοῦ· δι' ἡμερῶν πολλῶν ἐπανήξει εἰς τὸν οἶκον αὐτοῦ Εἰ «δι' ἡμερῶν πολλῶν ἐπανήξει εἰς τὸν οἶκον αὐτοῦ», πάνυ πνευματικῶς ἐνατενίσας τῇ οἰκονομίᾳ ὁ Παῦλος ἔσχατον ἐχθρὸν γράφει καταργεῖσθαι τὸν θάνατον. 96 7, 22.1 ὁ δὲ ἐπηκολούθησεν αὐτῇ κεπφωθείς Τῶν ἐρῳδιῶν τρία γένη εἰσίν, ὅ τε κέπφος καὶ ὁ λευκὸς καὶ ὁ ἀστερίας καλούμενος. Τούτων ὁ κέπφος χαλεπῶς εὐνάζεται καὶ ὀχεύει· κράζει τε γὰρ καὶ ὀχεύων αἷμα, ὥς φασιν, ἀφίησι ἐκ τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν καὶ τίκτει φαύλως καὶ ὀδυνηρῶς. Ταῦτα μὲν οὖν ἀπὸ τῶν τοῦ Ἀριστοτέλους ἐκ Τῶν περὶ τὰ ζῷα ἱστοριῶν παρεθήκαμεν. Ἔοικε δὲ ἡ γραφὴ ἀπὸ τῆς ἱστορίας τοῦ ζῴου τοῦ κέπφου τὴν λέξιν πεποιηκέναι τοῦ πειθουμένου τῇ πόρνῃ γυναικί, κεπφουμένου καὶ ἐξομοιουμένου τῷ ὀρνέῳ δι' ἀκολασίαν. [Οἷον διακινηθείς.] 97 7, 26 πολλοὺς γὰρ τρώσασα καταβέβληκεν καὶ ἀναρίθμητοί εἰσιν, οὓς πεφόνευκεν Τιτρώσκει μὲν ἡμᾶς τοῖς λογισμοῖς· φονεύει δὲ ταῖς ἁμαρτίαις. 98 8, 2 ἐπὶ γὰρ τῶν ὑψηλῶν ἄκρων ἐστίν· ἀνὰ μέσον δὲ τῶν τρίβων ἕστηκεν Μεταξὺ θρασύτητος καὶ δειλίας ἡ ἀνδρεία ἕστηκεν. 99 8, 3 παρὰ γὰρ πύλαις δυναστῶν παρεδρεύει· ἐν δὲ εἰσόδοις ὑμνεῖται Τὴν σοφίαν ποτὲ μὲν ἐν ἐξόδοις, ποτὲ δὲ ἐν εἰσόδοις ὑμνεῖσθαί φησιν, τουτέστι παρὰ τοῖς ἐξερχομένοις ἀπὸ τῆς κακίας καὶ εἰσερχομένοις εἰς τὴν ἀρετήν· ἔξοδον γὰρ καὶ εἴσοδον τὸν ἐξερχόμενον καὶ εἰσερχόμενον ὀνομάζει. Πολλάκις δὲ ἐσημειωσάμεθα τὴν συνήθειαν αὐτοῦ ταύτην, ὅτι ἀπὸ τῶν ἕξεων ὀνομάζει τοὺς κεκτημένους τὰς ἕξεις ἤτοι τὰς ἀρίστας ἢ τὰς χειρίστας. 100 8, 5 νοήσατε, ἄκακοι, πανουργίαν· οἱ δὲ ἀπαίδευτοι, ἔνθεσθε καρδίαν Καρδίαν ἐνταῦθα τὴν ἀρετὴν εἴρηκεν τὴν ἐπισυμβαίνουσαν τῇ καρδίᾳ. 101 8, 10.1–2 λάβετε παιδείαν καὶ μὴ ἀργύριον καὶ γνῶσιν ὑπὲρ χρυσίον δεδοκιμασμένον ... 8, 11.1 κρείσσων γὰρ σοφία λίθων πολυτελῶν Τὴν σοφίαν ἐνταῦθα ὡς γένος ἔλαβε τῆς παιδείας καὶ τῆς γνώσεως· παιδείαν γὰρ καὶ γνῶσιν προτάξας, ἐπάγει· «κρεῖσσον γὰρ σοφία λίθων πολυτελῶν», ὡς τῆς παιδείας καὶ τῆς γνώσεως περιεχομένης ἐν τῇ σοφίᾳ, ἥτις ἐστὶν πρῶτον χάρισμα τοῦ πνεύματος τοῦ ἁγίου, εἴπερ «διὰ τοῦ πνεύματος δίδοται λόγος σοφίας». Τὸ δ' αὐτὸ τοῦτο λέγεται καὶ πνεῦμα υἱοθεσίας. 102 8, 13.1–2 φόβος κυρίου μισεῖ ἀδικίαν, ὕβριν τε καὶ ὑπερηφανίαν καὶ ὁδοὺς πονηρῶν Σημειωτέον ὅτι ἀδικίαν καὶ ὕβριν καὶ ὑπερηφανίαν τὸν ἄδικον καὶ ὑβριστὴν καὶ ὑπερήφανον λέγει, ἀπὸ τῆς χειρίστης

On Fruitlessness, Shame, and False Sustenance§9

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9He is named as such from the beginning. He slaughtered his own victims and poured his own wine into a bowl. The same food and meat are named as bread and milk and vegetables and wine. However, the foolish are said to partake as if it were her bread and as if it were poured wine. If this is so, how shall we understand that 'man ate the bread of angels' (1 Cor 10:3)? Spiritual knowledge is a bowl containing discourses concerning the incorporeal and the corporeal and judgment and providence.

If Paul the apostle is a servant of Christ, and Christ is wisdom, then Paul the apostle is a servant of wisdom. Likewise, we shall gather the word concerning the rest of the apostles and the prophets, having shown them to be servants of wisdom. Calling with a high proclamation to the bowl, saying: This proclamation alone is a high place of knowledge proclaiming God.

He did not say 'eat of my meats'; for 'solid food is for the mature' (Heb 5:13). One must not rebuke the evil, so that they may not hate you. It is not necessary to rebuke the evil ones who are sinning, but rather to discourse with them concerning the fear of God, which persuades them to depart from wickedness.

If 'to know the law is the work of a good mind,' and to do the commandment is the work of a good mind. However, to do the commandment comes before knowing the law, if it is the nature of knowledge to come after purification.

He who relies on falsehoods, he will shepherd winds; and he himself will chase flying birds, being carried about by every wind of teaching and having shipwrecked concerning the faith. For he left the paths of his own vineyard; he has gone astray from the axes of his own farm. For he left the vine that said: 'I am the vine, you are the branches' (John 15:5), and: 'My father is the farmer' (John 15:1).

Fruitlessness brings about wickedness and ignorance by its own hands. A foolish and impudent woman becomes lacking in shame, one who does not know shame; since shame is a teacher, it is said 'she does not know shame.' And David says that the fear of God is a teacher: 'Come, children, listen to me, I will teach you the fear of the Lord' (Ps 138:14). But if fear and shame are natural passions of the soul, how are they teachers? Perhaps he calls the teaching about the fear of the Lord 'the fear of the Lord,' which teaches us that we must turn away from wickedness, as it is said, 'all shall turn from evil by the fear of the Lord' (Lk 6:27). Again, he calls 'shame' the discourses concerning repentance and shame that lead us to a sense of our own sins. Thus David says: 'I will behold the heavens, the works of your fingers, the moon and the stars which you established' (Ps 138:14), that is, I will behold the discourses concerning heavens, moon, and stars.

Seize the sweetness of hidden bread and the pleasantness of stolen water: 'Bread of lies will be sweet to them, and after this their mouth will be filled with pebbles' (Prov 9:17). But flee; do not linger in that place, nor fix your eye upon it. It is not necessary to linger the mind with worthless thoughts; 'for no one carries fire in his bosom and burns his clothes' (Lk 6:3). And do not drink from a foreign spring or a foreign well. Just as with God there is a spring of life, so with the devil there is a spring of death. If the spring of God is a spring of virtue and knowledge, then clearly the spring of the devil is a spring of wickedness and ignorance. Likewise, one must consider this regarding rivers, wells, waters, and rains.

Lawless treasures will not profit, but righteousness will rescue from death: 'Lawless treasures will not profit,' which they have stored up upon the earth, 'where moth and worm destroy, and where thieves break in and steal' (Matt 6:19).

Greek · §9

ἕξεως ὀνομάζων αὐτόν. 9 103 9, 2.1–2 ἔσφαξεν τὰ ἑαυτῆς θύματα, ἐκέρασεν εἰς κρατῆρα τὸν ἑαυτῆς οἶνον Ἡ αὐτὴ τροφὴ καὶ κρέας ὀνομάζεται καὶ ἄρτος καὶ γάλα καὶ λάχανα καὶ οἶνος. Πλὴν οἱ ἄφρονες ὡς ἄρτων αὐτῆς λέγονται μεταλαμβάνειν καὶ ὡς οἴνου κεκερασμένου. Εἰ δὲ τοῦτο, πῶς νοήσωμεν τὸ «ἄρτον ἀγγέλων ἔφαγεν ἄνθρωπος»; 104 Κρατήρ ἐστιν γνῶσις πνευματικὴ τοὺς περὶ ἀσωμάτων καὶ σωμάτων καὶ κρίσεως καὶ προνοίας περιέχουσα λόγους. 105 9, 3.1 ἀπέστειλεν τοὺς ἑαυτῆς δούλους Εἰ Παῦλος ὁ ἀπόστολος δοῦλός ἐστι Χριστοῦ, ὁ δὲ Χριστὸς σοφία ἐστίν, Παῦλος ἄρα ὁ ἀπόστολος δοῦλος σοφίας ἐστίν. Ὡσαύτως δὲ καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν λοιπῶν ἀποστόλων καὶ τῶν προφητῶν τὸν λόγον συνάξομεν, δούλους τῆς σοφίας αὐτοὺς ἀποδείξαντες. 106 9, 3.2 συγκαλοῦσα μετὰ ὑψηλοῦ κηρύγματος ἐπὶ κρατῆρα λέγουσα Τοῦτο τὸ κήρυγμα μόνον ἐστὶν ὑψηλὸν τόπους γνώσεως κηρῦσσον θεοῦ. 107 9, 5 ἔλθατε, φάγετε τῶν ἐμῶν ἄρτων καὶ πίετε οἶνον ὃν ἐκέρασα ὑμῖν Οὐκ εἶπεν τῶν ἐμῶν κρεῶν· «τελείων γάρ ἐστιν ἡ στερεὰ τροφή.» 108 9, 8.1 μὴ ἔλεγχε κακούς, ἵνα μὴ μισῶσίν σε Οὐ δεῖ ἁμαρτάνοντας ἐλέγχειν τοὺς κακούς, μᾶλλον δὲ περὶ φόβου θεοῦ αὐτοῖς διαλέγεσθαι, ὅστις πείθει αὐτοὺς ἀποστῆναι κακίας. 109 9, 10α τὸ δὲ γνῶναι νόμον διανοίας ἐστὶν ἀγαθῆς Εἰ «τὸ γνῶναι τὸν νόμον διανοίας ἐστὶν ἀγαθῆς», καὶ τὸ ποιῆσαι τὴν ἐντολὴν διανοίας ἐστὶν ἀγαθῆς. Πλὴν πρότερον τὸ ποιῆσαι τὴν ἐντολὴν τοῦ γνῶναι τὸν νόμον, εἴπερ ἡ γνῶσις μετὰ τὴν κάθαρσιν προσγίνεσθαι πέφυκεν. 110 9, 12α ὃς ἐρείδεται ἐπὶ ψεύδεσιν, οὗτος ποιμανεῖ ἀνέμους· ὁ δ' αὐτὸς διώξεται ὄρνεα πετόμενα Παντὶ ἀνέμῳ τῆς διδασκαλίας περιφερόμενος καὶ ναυαγήσας περὶ τὴν πίστιν. 111 9, 12β ἀπέλιπεν γὰρ ὁδοὺς τοῦ ἑαυτοῦ ἀμπελῶνος· τοὺς δὲ ἄξονας τοῦ ἰδίου γεωργίου πεπλάνηται Ἀπέλιπεν γὰρ τὴν ἄμπελον τὴν εἰποῦσαν· «ἐγώ εἰμι ἡ ἄμπελος, ὑμεῖς τὰ κλήματα», καί· «ὁ πατήρ μου ὁ γεωργός ἐστιν.» 112 9, 12ξ.3 συνάγει δὲ χερσὶν ἀκαρπίαν Ἀκαρπία ἐστὶ κακία καὶ ἄγνοια. 113 9, 13 γυνὴ ἄφρων καὶ θρασεῖα ἐνδεὴς ψωμοῦ γίνεται, ἣ οὐκ ἐπίσταται αἰσχύνην Ὡς διδακτῆς οὔσης τῆς αἰσχύνης, εἴρηται τὸ «οὐκ ἐπίσταται αἰσχύνην». Καὶ ὁ ∆αυὶδ τὸν τοῦ θεοῦ φόβον διδακτὸν εἶναι λέγει· «δεῦτε γάρ, φησίν, τέκνα, ἀκούσατέ μου, φόβον κυρίου διδάξω ὑμᾶς.» Εἰ δὲ ὁ φόβος καὶ ἡ αἰσχύνη πάθη ψυχῆς ἐστι φυσικά, πῶς διδακτά ἐστιν; Ἢ τάχα φόβον λέγει κυρίου τὴν διδασκαλίαν τὴν περὶ φόβου κυρίου τὴν διδάσκουσαν ἡμᾶς ὅπως δεῖ ἀπὸ κακίας ἐκκλίνειν, εἴγε «τῷ φόβῳ κυρίου ἐκκλίνει πᾶς ἀπὸ κακοῦ». Καὶ πάλιν αἰσχύνην ὀνομάζει τοὺς περὶ μετανοίας καὶ αἰσχύνης λόγους τοὺς ἄγοντας ἡμᾶς εἰς συναίσθησιν τῶν οἰκείων ἁμαρτημάτων. Οὕτω καὶ ὁ ∆αυίδ φησιν· «ὄψομαι τοὺς οὐρανούς, ἔργα τῶν δακτύλων σου, σελήνην καὶ ἀστέρας ἃ σὺ ἐθεμελίωσας», τουτέστιν ὄψομαι τοὺς λόγους τοὺς περὶ οὐρανῶν καὶ σελήνης καὶ ἀστέρων. 114 9, 17 ἄρτων κρυφίων ἡδέως ἅψασθε καὶ ὕδατος κλοπῆς γλυκεροῦ «Ἡδύνθη αὐτοῖς ἄρτος ψεύδους καὶ μετὰ τοῦτο πλησθήσεται τὸ στόμα αὐτῶν ψηφῖδος.» 115 9, 18α ἀλλὰ ἀποπήδησον, μὴ ἐγχρονίσῃς ἐν τῷ τόπῳ μηδὲ ἐπιστήσῃς τὸ σὸν ὄμμα πρὸς αὐτήν Οὐ δεῖ τὸν νοῦν ἐγχρονίζειν τοῖς φαύλοις νοήμασιν· «οὐδεὶς γὰρ ἀποδήσει πῦρ ἐν κόλπῳ καὶ τὰ ἱμάτια οὐ κατακαύσει.» 116 9, 18ξ ἀπὸ δὲ ὕδατος ἀλλοτρίου ἀπόσχου καὶ ἀπὸ πηγῆς ἀλλοτρίας μὴ πίῃς Ὥσπερ παρὰ τῷ θεῷ ἐστιν πηγὴ ζωῆς, οὕτω καὶ παρὰ τῷ διαβόλῳ πηγὴ θανάτου. Εἰ δὲ ἡ τοῦ θεοῦ πηγὴ ἀρετῆς καὶ γνώσεώς ἐστιν πηγή, ἡ τοῦ διαβόλου πηγὴ δηλονότι κακίας καὶ ἀγνωσίας ἐστὶν πηγή. Ὡσαύτως δὲ καὶ ἐπὶ ποταμῶν καὶ φρεάτων καὶ ὑδάτων καὶ ὑετῶν νοητέον. 117 10, 2 οὐκ ὠφελήσουσιν θησαυροὶ ἀνόμους· δικαιοσύνη δὲ ῥύσεται ἐκ θανάτου «Οὐκ ὠφελήσουσι θησαυροὶ ἀνόμους», οὓς ἐπὶ γῆς ἐθησαύρισαν, «ὅπου σὴς καὶ βρῶσις ἀφανίζει καὶ ὅπου κλέπται διορύσσουσι καὶ κλέπτουσιν». 118 10, 3

Exegesis of Proverbs§10

10The Lord will not starve to death a righteous soul; but he will overturn the life of the impious. If the life of the impious is wickedness, the Lord will overturn this, so that the impious will clearly be seen at some time to be not impious; for after this overturning, the Lord will hand over the kingdom to God and Father, so that God may become 'all in all'.

Instruction preserves the paths of life; but instruction wanders uncontrolled. He calls uncontrolled instruction the bad political order of the soul, which becomes a stranger to it through wandering.

Righteous lips cover enmity; but those who bring forth reviling are thoughtless. He says enmity is wickedness; for through this we become enemies of God. 'For if we were enemies,' says Paul, 'we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son.' If enmity is wickedness, then friendship is virtue and knowledge is that of God, through which we become friends of God and of the holy powers; for upon this friendship, those who are his friends are also friends to one another.

Desire is acceptable to the righteous; 'Lord, all my desire is against you,' says David.

The fear of the Lord adds days; but the years of the impious will be diminished. If 'the fear of the Lord adds days' and 'the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom', these days are parts of wisdom being made under the sun of righteousness, for which David also prays, saying, 'do not bring me up in the midst of my days.' And having fulfilled these days, Abraham died, concerning whom it is said, 'and Abraham died old and full of days.'

The righteous will not possess the age; but the impious will not inhabit the land. Instead of the age, and Paul says, 'I will not eat meat for ever, so that I may not scandalize my brother,' he calls the age the duration of his life.

The lips of righteous men send forth grace; but the mouth of the impious turns away. The mouth has now set the mind.

Salvation exists in much counsel for those who have no governance and fall like leaves, being carried about by every wind of teaching and shipwrecked regarding faith. The evil one does evil when he mixes with the righteous; but he hates the tone of security, those concerning salvation.

A man of mercy does good to his soul, but the merciless man drives the body out of it. Here the soul is spoken against by the body.

And Christ in the Gospels calls the soul 'body', saying, 'the eye is the lamp of the body' (Matt 6:22). Having said lamp, he means the intellect—for it is the receiver of knowledge—but 'body' refers to the spirited and desiring part of the soul, which some call the irrational part and others the passionate part.

He who strikes hand against hand unjustly shall not be unpunished; but he who sows righteousness shall receive a reward of the faithful. This one who strikes hand against hand unjustly is the teacher of evil deeds and dogmas. And this one who sows righteousness is the one who puts forward words concerning virtues and the knowledge of God.

There are those who, sowing their own, make more; and there are those who, gathering, are diminished. Those who sow their own and make more are opposed by those who gather and are diminished. If those who sow their own are those who sow into the spirit and reap life, those who gather are those who sow into the flesh and gather corruption to themselves.

He who withholds grain would leave it to the nations; but a blessing is upon the head of the giver. This is similar to that which is said by our Savior in the Gospels: 'No one, after lighting a lamp, puts it under a bushel, but on a lampstand, and it shines for all those in the house' (Matt 5:15).

If the work of making is a work of good things, and the work of virtues is a practical work, then the practical work is the making. The tree of life grows from the fruit of righteousness; but untimely souls are removed by lawlessness. This tree of life is the one planted in the midst of paradise, which Adam is prevented from grasping after the sin, having cast away the seeds of righteousness, from which the tree of life grows.

He who finds grace is greater, but the lawless man shall be passed over in silence: 'Do not pass me over from you, says David, lest I become like those descending into the pit' (Ps 88:49). The good man shall inherit sons of sons; but wealth is stored up for the ungodly.

Greek · §10

10 οὐ λιμοκτονήσει κύριος ψυχὴν δικαίαν· ζωὴν δὲ ἀσεβῶν ἀνατρέψει Εἰ ἡ ζωὴ τῶν ἀσεβῶν ἡ κακία ἐστίν, ταύτην δὲ ἀνατρέψει ὁ κύριος, ἔσονται δηλονότι ποτὲ οἱ ἀσεβεῖς οὐκ ἀσεβεῖς· μετὰ γὰρ ταύτην τὴν ἀνατροπὴν ὁ κύριος παραδώσει τὴν βασιλείαν τῷ θεῷ καὶ πατρί, ἵνα γένηται ὁ θεὸς τὰ «πάντα ἐν πᾶσιν». 119 10, 17 ὁδοὺς ζωῆς φυλάσσει παιδεία· παιδεία δὲ ἀνεξέλεγκτος πλανᾶται Παιδείαν ἀνεξέλεγκτον ὀνομάζει τὴν κακὴν τῆς ψυχῆς πολιτείαν, ἥτις καὶ πλάνης αὐτῇ γίνεται πρόξενος. 120 10, 18 καλύπτουσιν ἔχθραν χείλη δίκαια· οἱ δὲ ἐκφέροντες λοιδορίας ἀφρονέστατοί εἰσιν Ἔχθραν τὴν κακίαν λέγει· διὰ γὰρ ταύτης ἐχθροὶ γινόμεθα τοῦ θεοῦ· «εἰ γὰρ ἐχθροὶ ὄντες, φησὶν ὁ Παῦλος, κατηλλάγημεν τῷ θεῷ διὰ τοῦ θανάτου τοῦ υἱοῦ αὐτοῦ.» Εἰ δὲ ἡ ἔχθρα ἡ κακία ἐστίν, ἡ φιλία ἡ ἀρετή ἐστιν καὶ ἡ γνῶσις ἡ τοῦ θεοῦ, δι' ἧς φίλοι γινόμεθα τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ τῶν ἁγίων δυνάμεων· ἐπὶ γὰρ ταύτης τῆς φιλίας οἱ τοῦ αὐτοῦ φίλοι καὶ ἀλλήλων εἰσὶ φίλοι. 121 10, 24.2 ἐπιθυμία δὲ δικαίου δεκτή «Κύριε, ἐναντίον σου πᾶσα ἡ ἐπιθυμία μου», φησὶν ὁ ∆αυίδ. 122 10, 27 φόβος κυρίου προστίθησιν ἡμέρας· ἔτη δὲ ἀσεβῶν ὀλιγωθήσεται Εἰ «φόβος κυρίου προστίθησιν ἡμέρας», «ἀρχὴ δὲ σοφίας φόβος κυρίου», αἱ ἡμέραι αὗται μέρη τῆς σοφίας εἰσὶν ὑπὸ τοῦ ἡλίου τῆς δικαιοσύνης γινόμεναι, ὑπὲρ ὧν εὔχεται καὶ ὁ ∆αυὶδ λέγων· «μὴ ἀναγάγῃς με ἐν ἡμίσει ἡμερῶν μου.» Ταύτας δὲ τὰς ἡμέρας καὶ Ἀβραὰμ πληρώσας ἀπέθανε, περὶ οὗ εἴρηται· «καὶ Ἀβραὰμ ἀπέθανε πρεσβύτης καὶ πλήρης ἡμερῶν.» 123 10, 30 δίκαιος τὸν αἰῶνα οὐκ ἐνδώσει· ἀσεβεῖς δὲ οὐκ οἰκήσουσιν γῆν Τὸν αἰῶνα ἀντὶ τοῦ διὰ βίου. Καὶ ὁ Παῦλος· «οὐ μὴ φάγω, φησίν, κρέα εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα, ἵνα μὴ τὸν ἀδελφόν μου σκανδαλίσω», αἰῶνα τὸ συμπαρεκτεινόμενον τῇ συστάσει τῆς ζωῆς αὐτοῦ διάστημα ὀνομάζων. 124 10, 32 χείλη ἀνδρῶν δικαίων ἀποστάζει χάριτας· στόμα δὲ ἀσεβῶν ἀποστρέφεται Στόμα νῦν τὸν νοῦν εἴρηκεν. 125 11, 14 οἷς μὴ ὑπάρχει κυβέρνησις, πίπτουσιν ὥσπερ φύλλα· σωτηρία δὲ ὑπάρχει ἐν πολλῇ βουλῇ Παντὶ ἀνέμῳ τῆς διδασκαλίας περιφερόμενοι καὶ ναυαγοῦντες περὶ τὴν πίστιν. 126 11, 15 πονηρὸς κακοποιεῖ, ὅταν συμμείξῃ δικαίῳ· μισεῖ δὲ ἦχον ἀσφαλείας Ἦχον ἀσφαλείας τοὺς περὶ σωτηρίας λόγους ὠνόμασεν. 127 11, 17 τῇ ψυχῇ αὐτοῦ ἀγαθὸν ποιεῖ ἀνὴρ ἐλήμων· ἐξολλύει δὲ αὐτοῦ σῶμα ὁ ἀνελεήμων Ἐνταῦθα τὴν ψύχην ἄντικρυς προσεῖπεν σῶμα. Καὶ ὁ Χριστὸς δὲ ἐν τοῖς εὐαγγελίοις σῶμα τὴν ψυχὴν ὀνομάζει, «ὁ λύχνος, λέγων, τοῦ σώματός ἐστιν ὁ ὀφθαλμός», λύχνον μὲν εἰπὼν τὸν νοῦν–αὐτὸς γάρ ἐστιν γνώσεως δεκτικός–, σῶμα δὲ τὸ θυμικὸν καὶ ἐπιθυμητικὸν μέρος τῆς ψυχῆς, ὅπερ τινὲς μὲν ἄλογον, τινὲς δὲ παθητικὸν μέρος καλοῦσιν. 128 11, 21 χειρὶ χεῖρας ἐμβαλὼν ἀδίκως οὐκ ἀτιμώρητος ἔσται· ὁ δὲ σπείρων δικαιοσύνην λήμψεται μισθὸν πιστῶν Οὗτος χειρὶ χεῖρας ἐμβάλλει ἀδίκως ὁ κακῶν γινόμενος πραγμάτων καὶ δογμάτων διδάσκαλος. Καὶ οὗτος σπείρει δικαιοσύνην ὁ περὶ ἀρετῶν καὶ θεοῦ γνώσεως προϊέμενος λόγους. 129 11, 24 εἰσὶν οἳ τὰ ἴδια σπείροντες πλείονα ποιοῦσιν· εἰσὶν δὲ καὶ οἳ συνάγοντες ἐλαττονοῦνται Τοῖς τὰ ἴδια σπείρουσι καὶ πλείονα ποιοῦσιν ἀντίκεινται οἱ συνάγοντες καὶ ἐλαττονούμενοι. Εἰ δὲ οἱ τὰ ἴδια σπείροντές εἰσιν οἱ εἰς τὸ πνεῦμα σπείροντες καὶ ζωὴν θερίζοντες, οἱ συνάγοντές εἰσιν οἱ εἰς τὴν σάρκα σπείροντες καὶ φθορὰν συνάγοντες ἑαυτοῖς. 130 11, 26 ὁ συνέχων σῖτον ὑπολίποιτο αὐτὸν τοῖς ἔθνεσιν· εὐλογία δὲ εἰς κεφαλὴν τοῦ μεταδιδόντος Ὅμοιόν ἐστι τούτῳ καὶ τὸ ὑπὸ τοῦ σωτῆρος ἡμῶν ἐν τοῖς εὐαγγελίοις λεγόμενον· «οὐδεὶς λύχνον ἅψας τίθησιν αὐτὸν ὑπὸ τὸν μόδιον, ἀλλ' ἐπὶ τὴν λυχνίαν καὶ φαίνει πᾶσι τοῖς ἐν τῇ οἰκίᾳ.» 131 11, 27 τεκταινόμενος ἀγαθὰ ζητεῖ χάριν ἀγαθήν· ἐκζητοῦντα δὲ κακά, καταλήμψεται αὐτόν Εἰ τεκτονική ἐστιν ἐργασία ἀγαθῶν καὶ πρακτική ἐστιν 11 ἐργασία ἀρετῶν, ἡ πρακτική ἐστιν ἡ τεκτονική. 132 11, 30 ἐκ καρποῦ δικαιοσύνης φύεται δένδρον ζωῆς· ἀφαιροῦνται δὲ ἄωροι ψυχαὶ παρανόμων Τοῦτο τὸ δένδρον τῆς ζωῆς ἐστι τὸ φυτευθὲν ἐν μέσῳ τοῦ παραδείσου, οὗ ἅψασθαι μετὰ τὴν ἁμαρτίαν κωλύεται ὁ Ἀδὰμ τὰ σπέρματα τῆς δικαιοσύνης ἀποβαλών, ἀφ' ὧν φύεται τὸ δένδρον τῆς ζωῆς. 133 12, 2 κρείσσων ὁ εὑρὼν χάριν παρὰ κυρίῳ ἀνὴρ δὲ παράνομος παρασιωπηθήσεται «Μήποτε παρασιωπήσῃς ἀπ' ἐμοῦ, φησὶν ὁ ∆αυίδ, καὶ ὁμοιωθήσομαι τοῖς καταβαίνουσιν εἰς λάκκον.» 134 13, 22 ὁ ἀγαθὸς ἀνὴρ κληρονομήσει υἱοὺς υἱῶν· θησαυρίζεται δὲ δικαίοις πλοῦτος ἀσεβῶν Πλοῦτος

Scholia on Proverbs§11

11The wickedness of the ungodly. But the righteous will consume it, clearly through good teaching, whether now or in the future age, over fifteen cities.

And Paul says: 'But according to your hardness and unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath and the revelation of the righteous judgment of God' (Rom 2:5).

All things are contrary to a foolish man; but the lips of the wise are weapons of perception. For 'it does not oppose' wisdom 'anything evil,' because it is an invincible weapon; for the demons are only powerless against it.

The houses of the foolish must undergo cleansing; but the houses of the righteous are receptive, so that having become pure, they may see God; for this is the blessed end which is preserved for all rational nature.

The reckless man will be filled with his own ways; but a good man is known from his thoughts. Regarding thoughts, he has now spoken of the states of virtues, just as he set them in opposition to the ways of the reckless.

The foolish are divided by wickedness; but the cunning will prevail through perception. He set wickedness in opposition to perception. If wickedness opposes virtue, then perception now signifies virtue.

In increasing righteousness there is much strength; but the ungodly are uprooted from the earth. 'Unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven' (Matt 5:20).

The education of the inattentive is known by those passing by; but let those who hate reproof perish shamefully. Regarding reproof, he has now spoken of the commandments; for these reprove us when we are sinning.

All the time the eyes of the evil receive evil; but the good are at rest always. Silence is a refuge from wickedness.

Ways of life are the thoughts of the prudent, so that having turned away from Hades, he may be saved. Regarding ways of life, he speaks of the practical virtues which lead toward knowledge.

The ways of righteous men are acceptable to the Lord; and through them, even enemies become friends. This is from Paul preaching: 'Those who were once enemies were reconciled to God through the death of His Son'; however, one must take care whether all enemies become friends through the righteous, so that Christ might also say to all: 'I no longer call you slaves, but friends' (John 15:15).

Divination is upon the lips of a king; but in judgment, one will not wander...

Christ is the Searcher of Hearts who will judge the inhabited world with justice by his mouth (Prov 14:5). The wrath of a king is a messenger of death (Prov 14:27), but a wise man will escape him. The angel who stands regarding matters of punishment is called the wrath of God.

Diseases of wisdom are better than gold (Prov 14:34), but diseases of prudence are better than silver. Knowledge of wisdom is better than gold, but knowledge of prudence is better than silver.

He who receives instruction will be in good things (Prov 15:33), but he who guards reproofs will be a sophist. Reproofs refers to the commandments of God; for these reprove us when we are sinning.

A fountain of life is a concept to those who possess it, but instruction is bad for the foolish. The uncontrollable instruction, the foolish have now named it instruction. If the instruction of the foolish is evil, the uncontrollable instruction is foolishness.

The heart of a wise man will understand things from his own mouth (Prov 14:10); but he will carry epistemic-knowledge upon his lips. Knowledge said epistemic-knowledge to mean knowing all things.

A crooked man sends out evils and flashes the spark of deceit (Prov 14:13), separating friends. The Word attempts to teach the demons, learning from the devil, to attempt to act against the saints and to test them, separating them from the knowledge which is natural for uniting them to the heavenly powers. Solomon, as I think, revealed this very thing through this proverb, calling Satan a crooked man, flashing the sparks of deceit the evil demons, instead of being taught, and the saints, the friends joining one another through knowledge.

He who supports his eyes is reckoned straying, but he defines all evils with his lips; this is a furnace of evils. The spirit of a driving wind scatters the flame of this furnace.

Everything comes into the laps of the unrighteous (Prov 14:32), but all things just are from the Lord (Prov 14:32). It should be noted that he spoke of the hearts of the unrighteous as laps here. I think also that everywhere 'lap' signifies either the mind or knowledge. If it is also a deceptive lap, it will signify ignorance.

A prudent servant will rule over foolish masters (Prov 11:29); but among brothers, parts are divided. If 'everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin' (1 John 3:8), everyone who...

Greek · §11

ἀσεβῶν κακία. Οἱ δὲ δίκαιοι ἐξαναλώσουσιν αὐτὸν δηλονότι διὰ τῆς ἀγαθῆς διδασκαλίας ἤτοι νῦν ἢ καὶ ἐν τῷ αἰῶνι τῷ μέλλοντι γενόμενοι ἐπάνω πέντε καὶ δέκα πόλεων. Καὶ ὁ Παῦλός φησιν· «κατὰ δὲ τὴν σκληρότητά σου καὶ ἀμετανόητον καρδίαν θησαυρίζεις σεαυτῷ ὀργὴν ἐν ἡμέρᾳ ὀργῆς καὶ ἀποκαλύψεως δικαιοκρισίας τοῦ θεοῦ.» 135 14, 7 πάντα ἐναντία ἀνδρὶ ἄφρονι· ὅπλα δὲ αἰσθήσεως χείλη σοφά «Οὐκ ἀντιτάσσεται» γὰρ τῇ σοφίᾳ «οὐδὲν πονηρόν», διότι ὅπλον ἐστὶν ἀκαταμάχητον· μόνον γὰρ πρὸς αὐτὴν ἀδυνατοῦσιν οἱ δαίμονες. 136 14, 9 οἰκίαι ἀφρόνων ὀφειλήσουσι καθαρισμόν· οἰκίαι δὲ δικαίων δεκταί Ἵνα καθαροὶ γενόμενοι ἴδωσι τὸν θεόν· τοῦτο γάρ ἐστι τὸ μακάριον τέλος ὅπερ πάσῃ λογικῇ φύσα τετήρηται. 137 14, 14 τῶν ἑαυτοῦ ὁδῶν πλησθήσεται θρασυκάρδιος· ἀπὸ δὲ τῶν διανοημάτων αὐτοῦ ἀνὴρ ἀγαθός ∆ιανοήματα νῦν εἶπεν τὰς ἕξεις τῶν ἀρετῶν, ἅσπερ ταῖς ὁδοῖς τοῦ θρασυκαρδίου ἀντέθηκεν. 138 14, 18 μεριοῦνται ἄφρονες κακίαν· οἱ δὲ πανοῦργοι κρατήσουσιν αἰσθήσεως Ἀντέθηκε τὴν κακίαν τῇ αἰσθήσει. Εἰ δὲ ἡ κακία τῇ ἀρετῇ ἀντίκειται, ἡ αἴσθησις νῦν σημαίνει τὴν ἀρετήν. 139 15, 16 ἐν πλεοναζούσῃ δικαιοσύνῃ ἰσχὺς πολλή· οἱ δὲ ἀσεβεῖς ὁλόρριζοι ἐκ γῆς ὀλοῦνται «Ἐὰν μὴ περισσεύσῃ ὑμῶν ἡ δικαιοσύνη πλέον τῶν γραμματέων καὶ φαρισαίων, οὐ μὴ εἰσέλθητε εἰς τὴν βασιλείαν τῶν οὐρανῶν.» 140 15, 10 παιδεία ἀκάκου γνωρίζεται ὑπὸ τῶν παριόντων· οἱ δὲ μισοῦντες ἐλέγχους τελευτῶσιν αἰσχρῶς Ἐλέγχους νῦν τὰς ἐντολὰς εἶπεν· αὗται γὰρ ἡμᾶς ἐλέγχουσιν ἁμαρτάνοντας. 141 15, 15 πάντα τὸν χρόνον οἱ ὀφθαλμοὶ τῶν κακῶν προσδέχονται κακά· οἱ δὲ ἀγαθοὶ ἡσυχάζουσιν διὰ παντός Ἡσυχία ἐστὶν ἀποχὴ κακίας. 142 15, 24 ὁδοὶ ζωῆς διανοήματα συνετοῦ, ἵνα ἐκκλίνας ἐκ τοῦ ᾅδου σωθῇ Ὁδοὺς ζωῆς λέγει τὰς πρακτικὰς ἀρετὰς τὰς φερούσας ἐπὶ τὴν γνῶσιν. 143 15, 28α δεκταὶ παρὰ κυρίῳ ὁδοὶ ἀνθρώπων δικαίων· διὰ δὲ αὐτῶν καὶ οἱ ἐχθροὶ φίλοι γίνονται Παύλου κηρύξαντος· «οἵ ποτε ὄντες ἐχθροὶ κατηλλάγησαν τῷ θεῷ διὰ τοῦ θανάτου τοῦ υἱοῦ αὐτοῦ»· πλὴν προσεκτέον εἰ πάντες οἱ ἐχθροὶ διὰ τῶν δικαίων φίλοι γίνονται, ἵνα καὶ πᾶσιν εἴπῃ ὁ Χριστός· «οὐκέτι ὑμᾶς καλῶ δούλους, ἀλλὰ φίλους.» 144 16, 10 μαντεῖον ἐπὶ χείλεσι βασιλέως· ἐν δὲ κρίσει οὐ μὴ πλανηθῇ τὸ στόμα αὐτοῦ Καρδιογνώστης ἐστὶν ὁ Χριστὸς καὶ κρινεῖ τὴν οἰκουμένην ἐν δικαιοσύνῃ. 145 16, 14 θυμὸς βασιλέως ἄγγελος θανάτου· ἀνὴρ δὲ σοφὸς ἐξιλάσεται αὐτόν Ὁ ἄγγελος ὁ τοὺς περὶ κολάσεως ἐπιστάμενος λόγους θυμὸς τοῦ θεοῦ καλεῖται. 146 16, 16 νοσσιαὶ σοφίας αἱρετώτεραι χρυσίου· νοσσιαὶ δὲ φρονήσεως αἱρετώτεραι ὑπὲρ ἀργύριον Γνῶσις σοφίας ὑπὲρ χρυσίον· γνῶσις δὲ φρονήσεως ὑπὲρ ἀργύριον. 147 16, 17.3–4 ὁ δεχόμενος παιδείαν ἐν ἀγαθοῖς ἔσται· ὁ δὲ φυλάσσων ἐλέγχους σοφισθήσεται Ἐλέγχους λέγει τὰς ἐντολὰς τοῦ θεοῦ· αὗται γὰρ ἡμᾶς ἐλέγχουσιν ἁμαρτάνοντας. 148 πηγὴ ζωῆς ἔννοια τοῖς κεκτημένοις· παιδεία δὲ ἀφρόνων κακή Τὴν παιδείαν τὴν ἀνεξέλεγκτον νῦν παιδείαν ἀφρόνων ὠνόμασεν. Εἰ δὲ παιδεία ἀφρόνων ἡ κακία ἐστίν, ἡ ἀνεξέλεγκτος παιδεία ἡ ἀφροσύνη ἐστίν. 12 149 16, 23 καρδία σοφοῦ νοήσει τὰ ἀπὸ τοῦ ἰδίου στόματος· ἐπὶ δὲ χείλεσιν φορέσει ἐπιγνωμοσύνην Τὴν γνῶσιν ἐπιγνωμοσύνην εἶπεν παρὰ τὸ πάντα αὐτὴν ἐπιγινώσκειν τὰ πράγματα. 150 16, 28 ἀνὴρ σκολιὸς διαπέμπεται κακὰ καὶ λαμπτῆρα δόλου πυρσεύει κακοῖς καὶ διαχωρίζει φίλους Λόγος τοὺς δαίμονας παρὰ τοῦ διαβόλου μανθάνοντας ἐπιχειρεῖν τοῖς ἁγίοις καὶ πειρᾶσθαι χωρίζειν αὐτοὺς ἀπὸ τῆς γνώσεως, ἥτις πέφυκε συνάπτειν αὐτοὺς πρὸς φιλίαν ταῖς ἐπουρανίοις δυνάμεσι. Τὸ δ' αὐτὸ τοῦτο καὶ ὁ Σολομών, ὡς οἶμαι, διὰ ταύτης τῆς παροιμίας δεδήλωκε, σκολιὸν μὲν ἄνδρα λέγων τὸν σατανᾶν, πυρσευομένους δὲ δόλους τοὺς κακοὺς δαίμονας ἀντὶ τοῦ διδασκομένους καὶ φίλους τοὺς ἁγίους τοὺς διὰ τῆς γνώσεως συναπτομένους ἀλλήλοις. 151 16, 30 στηρίζων ὀφθαλμοὺς αὐτοῦ λογίζεται διεστραμμένα, ὁρίζει δὲ τοῖς χείλεσιν αὐτοῦ πάντα τὰ κακά· οὗτος κάμινός ἐστιν κακῶν Ταύτης τῆς καμίνου ἐκτινάσσει τὴν φλόγα πνεῦμα δρόσου διασυρίζον. 152 16, 33 εἰς κόλπους ἐπέρχεται πάντα τοῖς ἀδίκοις· παρὰ δὲ κυρίου πάντα τὰ δίκαια Σημειωτέον ὅτι κόλπους ἐνταῦθα τὰς καρδίας εἴρηκε τῶν ἀδίκων. Οἶμαι δὲ ὅτι καὶ πανταχοῦ ὁ κόλπος ἤτοι τὸν νοῦν ἢ τὴν γνῶσιν σημαίνει. Εἰ δ' ἐστὶ καὶ κόλπος ψεκτός, τὴν ἀγνωσίαν δηλονότι δηλώσει. 153 17, 2 οἰκέτης νοήμων κρατήσει δεσποτῶν ἀφρόνων· ἐν δὲ ἀδελφοῖς διελεῖται μέρη Εἰ «πᾶς ὁ ποιῶν τὴν ἁμαρτίαν δοῦλός ἐστι τῆς ἁμαρτίας», πᾶς ὁ

Virtue as a Shield and the Nature of True Friendship§12

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12Having turned away from evil and having prevailed through virtues, he has mastered foolish demons. And such a person will become also a steward of the mysteries of God, giving spiritual knowledge to each of the brothers according to the analogy of their state, sometimes watering the Corinthian with milk, sometimes feeding the Ephesian with firmer food, discussing height and length and breadth and depth, and through these dimensions signifying the division of the logical nature, which contains the discourses concerning the judgment and providence of God, being most profound and fleeing the human condition.

Just so Jesus son of Nun distributed the land of promise to the twelve tribes, which is a symbol of the knowledge of God and of those things having come from Him. However, it must be known that the discourses concerning the incarnation of Christ and His appearance in Judah are held in reserve for knowledge; for in this lot Christ is born. But I consider the discourses concerning providence to be fitting for the state of the hidden Judah and Benjamin, whose names I regard as distinctions of different and pure states, if Judah is interpreted as confessing, and Benjamin as a son of days or a son of the right hand.

An evil man obeys the tongue of the lawless; but a righteous man does not give heed to lying lips. This one obeys the tongues of the lawless, he who receives from them thoughts and hastens to act according to them, whereas the righteous is said not to give heed, that is, not to nourish them any further within himself.

To the faithful belongs the whole world of things; to the unfaithful, not even a mite. The faithful, he says, will see the discourses of this world, which he has figuratively gathered as riches of the mind; but the unfaithful will not know the discourse of even a chance matter because of the impurity of his soul. Since knowledge of God is a wealth of the soul, Paul teaches this through those things in which he writes, 'you were enriched in every way in all knowledge and all wisdom' (Colossians 2:3). And if anyone wishes to show that this is not the meaning of this proverb, let him say where those who passed through became destitute of things, 'in meager things, in skins of goats, being poorly treated, afflicted, and lacking' (2 Corinthians 11:3); and how also the un-

He will not have a single penny, being surrounded by the wealth of many unfaithful ones, I say, many kings and rulers of this world.

Faithful lips do not suit a fool, nor false lips a righteous man: 'For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness, or what communion light with darkness?' (2 Cor 6:14). He who hides wrongdoings seeks friendship; but he who hates hiding distinguishes friends and kinsmen. Through righteousness we hide injustice, through self-control we hide intemperance, again through love we hide hatred, and through freedom from greed we hide avarice. We also hide pride through humility and boldness through meekness, seeking the spiritual friendship, which signifies holy knowledge. And according to Paul, some of the saints are said to have become fellow-citizens and kinsmen of Jerusalem, 'having been built up on the foundation of the apostles and prophets' (Eph 2:20).

He who gives evil instead of good, evil shall not move out from his house. If he who gives evil instead of evil is lawless, how much more the one who gives evil instead of good is more lawless? Such became toward God the Israel of the wilderness, to whom Moses says in Deuteronomy: 'These generations are crooked and perverse, repaying the Lord' (Deut 32:5).

Authority is given by words, the beginning of righteousness; but standing and strife precede need. Knowledge follows righteousness; but wickedness precedes ignorance. He who judges the unrighteous as righteous, and the righteous as unrighteous, is unclean and an abomination before God. Similar is he who calls the bitter sweet and the sweet bitter, and calls the light darkness and the darkness light.

Why did money exist for a fool? For he will not be able to acquire wisdom without a heart. Money belongs to a fool; for regarding each of his matters, there is foolishness; because of these things, having become without a heart, he is unable to acquire wisdom.

He who makes his own house lofty seeks destruction; but he who turns aside from learning will fall into evils. 'He who turns aside from learning,' because 'the Lord opposes the proud' (Prov 16:5), 'will fall into evils' (Prov 24:21). Let a friend be to you at all times; but brothers are useful in necessities.

Greek · §12

ἀποστὰς τῆς κακίας καὶ διὰ τῶν ἀρετῶν κρατήσας δαιμόνων ἀφρόνων κεκράτηκε δεσποτῶν. Ὁ δὲ τοιοῦτος γενήσεται καὶ οἰκονόμος μυστηρίων θεοῦ, κατ' ἀναλογίαν τῆς καταστάσεως ἑκάστῳ τῶν ἀδελφῶν διδοὺς γνῶσιν πνευματικὴν καὶ τὸν μὲν Κορίνθιον γάλα ποτίζων, τὸν δὲ Ἐφέσιον τρέφων στερεωτέρᾳ τροφῇ, περὶ ὕψους καὶ μήκους καὶ πλάτους καὶ βάθους διαλεγόμενος καὶ διὰ τούτων τῶν διαστημάτων τὴν τῆς λογικῆς φύσεως σημαίνων διαίρεσιν, ἥτις τοὺς περὶ κρίσεως καὶ προνοίας τοῦ θεοῦ λόγους ἐμπεριέχει, πάνυ βαθυτάτους ὑπάρχοντας καὶ ἐκφεύγοντας τὴν ἀνθρωπίνην κατάστασιν. Οὕτω καὶ Ἰησοῦς ὁ τοῦ Ναυῆ τὴν γῆν τῆς ἐπαγγελίας ἐμέρισεν ταῖς δώδεκα φυλαῖς, ἥτις ἐστὶν τῆς τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ τῶν ὑπ' αὐτοῦ γεγονότων γνώσεως σύμβολον. Πλὴν τοῦτο ἰστέον ὅτι οἱ περὶ τῆς σαρκώσεως τοῦ Χριστοῦ λόγοι καὶ τῆς ἐπιδημίας αὐτοῦ ἐν τῇ Ἰούδα γνώσει ἐναπόκεινται· ἐν γὰρ τῷ τούτου κλήρῳ γεννᾶται Χριστός. Οἶμαι δὲ τοὺς περὶ προνοίας λόγους εἶναι ἁρμόζοντας τῇ καταστάσει τοῦ κρυπτοῦ Ἰούδα καὶ Βενιαμίν, ἅτινα ὀνόματα διαφόρων καὶ καθαρῶν καταστάσεων ἡγοῦμαι διαγνωρίσματα, εἴγε Ἰούδας μὲν ἐξομολογούμενος ἑρμηνεύεται, Βενιαμὶν δὲ υἱὸς ἡμερῶν ἢ υἱὸς δεξιᾶς. 154 17, 4 κακὸς ὑπακούει γλώσσης παρανόμων· δίκαιος δὲ οὐ προσέχει χείλεσιν ψευδέσιν Οὗτος ὑπακούει ταῖς γλώσσαις τῶν παρανόμων ὁ τοὺς ἀδίκους δεχόμενος παρ' αὐτῶν λογισμοὺς καὶ σπεύδων ἐνεργεῖν κατ' αὐτούς, οἷς ὁ δίκαιος λέγεται μὴ προσέχειν, τουτέστιν μὴ ἐπὶ πλέον τρέφειν ἐν ἑαυτῷ. 155 17, 6α τοῦ πιστοῦ ὅλος ὁ κόσμος τῶν χρημάτων· τοῦ δὲ ἀπίστου οὐδὲ ὀβολός Ὁ πιστός, φησίν, ὄψεται τοὺς λόγους τοῦ κόσμου τούτου, οὕστινας χρήματα τοῦ νοῦ τροπικῶς προσηγόρευσεν· ὁ δὲ ἄπιστος οὐδὲ τοῦ τυχόντος πράγματος γνώσεται τὸν λόγον διὰ τὴν ἀκαθαρσίαν τῆς ψυχῆς αὐτοῦ. Ὅτι δὲ πλοῦτος ψυχῆς ἡ γνῶσίς ἐστιν ἡ τοῦ θεοῦ, ὁ Παῦλος διδάσκει δι' ὧν γράφει τὸ «ἐν παντὶ ἐπλουτίσθητε ἐν πάσῃ γνώσει καὶ πάσῃ σοφίᾳ». Εἰ δέ τις βούλοιτο δεῖξαι μὴ ταύτην τὴν ἔννοιαν εἶναι ταύτης τῆς παροιμίας, λεγέτω ποῦ ηὐπόρησαν χρημάτων οἱ περιελθόντες «ἐν μηλωταῖς, ἐν αἰγείοις δέρμασιν, κακουχούμενοι, θλιβόμενοι, ὑστερούμενοι»· πῶς δὲ καὶ ὁ ἄπιστος οὐχ ἕξει ὀβολόν, πολλῶν ἀπίστων περιβεβλημένος πλοῦτον, πολλῶν λέγω δὴ βασιλέων καὶ ἀρχόντων τοῦ κόσμου τούτου. 156 17, 7 οὐχ ἁρμόσει ἄφρονι χείλη πιστὰ οὐδὲ δικαίῳ χείλη ψευδῆ «Τίς 13 γὰρ μετοχὴ δικαιοσύνῃ καὶ ἀδικίᾳ ἢ τίς κοινωνία φωτὶ πρὸς σκότος;» 157 17, 9 ὃς κρύπτει ἀδικήματα ζητεῖ φιλίαν· ὃς δὲ μισεῖ κρύπτειν, διΐστησιν φίλους καὶ οἰκείους ∆ιὰ μὲν τῆς δικαιοσύνης τὴν ἀδικίαν κρύπτομεν, διὰ δὲ τῆς σωφροσύνης τὴν ἀκολασίαν καὶ πάλιν διὰ τῆς ἀγάπης τὸ μῖσος καὶ διὰ τῆς ἀφιλαργυρίας τὴν πλεονεξίαν. Κρύπτομεν δὲ καὶ διὰ τῆς ταπεινοφροσύνης τὴν ὑπερηφανίαν καὶ διὰ τῆς πραΰτητος τὴν θρασύτητα, ζητοῦντες τὴν πνευματικὴν φιλίαν, ἥτις τὴν ἁγίαν γνῶσιν σημαίνει. Καὶ παρὰ τῷ Παύλῳ δὲ συμπολῖταί τινες τῶν ἁγίων λέγονται γεγονέναι καὶ οἰκεῖοι τῆς Ἱερουσαλήμ, «ἐποικοδομηθέντες ἐπὶ τῷ θεμελίῳ τῶν ἀποστόλων καὶ προφητῶν». 158 17, 13 ὃς ἀποδίδωσιν κακὰ ἀντὶ ἀγαθῶν, οὐ κινηθήσεται κακὰ ἐκ τοῦ οἴκου αὐτοῦ Εἰ ὁ κακὰ ἀντὶ κακῶν ἀποδιδοὺς παράνομος, πόσῳ μᾶλλον ὁ κακὰ ἀντὶ ἀγαθῶν ἀποδιδοὺς παρανομώτερος; Τοιοῦτος δὲ ἐγένετο κατὰ τὴν ἔρημον πρὸς τὸν θεὸν ὁ Ἰσραήλ, πρὸς ὃν Μωσῆς ἐν τῷ ∆ευτερονομίῳ φησίν· «γενεὰ σκολιὰ καὶ διεστραμμένη ταῦτα κυρίῳ ἀνταποδίδοτε.» 159 17, 14 ἐξουσίαν δίδωσιν λόγοις ἀρχὴ δικαιοσύνης· προηγεῖται δὲ τῆς ἐνδείας στάσις καὶ μάχη ∆ικαιοσύνῃ ἕπεται γνῶσις· προηγεῖται δὲ τῆς ἀγνοίας κακία. 160 17, 15 ὃς δίκαιον κρίνει τὸν ἄδικον, ἄδικον δὲ τὸν δίκαιον, ἀκάθαρτος καὶ βδελυκτὸς παρὰ θεῷ Ὅμοιός ἐστιν τούτῳ ὁ λέγων τὸ πικρὸν γλυκὺ καὶ τὸ γλυκὺ πικρὸν καὶ τὸ μὲν φῶς ὀνομάζων σκότος, τὸ δὲ σκότος φῶς. 161 17, 16 ἵνα τί ὑπῆρξε χρήματα ἄφρονι; κτήσασθαι γὰρ σοφίαν ἀκάρδιος οὐ δυνήσεται Χρήματα ἄφρονός ἐστιν αἱ περὶ τὰ καθ' ἕκαστον αὐτοῦ πράγματα ἀφροσύναι· διὰ ταύτας γὰρ καὶ ἀκάρδιος γεγονὼς κτήσασθαι σοφίαν ἀδυνατεῖ. 162 17, 16α ὃς ὑψηλὸν ποιεῖ τὸν ἑαυτοῦ οἶκον, ζητεῖ συντριβήν· ὁ δὲ σκολιάζων τοῦ μαθεῖν ἐμπεσεῖται εἰς κακά «Ὁ δὲ σκολιάζων τοῦ μαθεῖν», ὅτι «κύριος ὑπερηφάνοις ἀντιτάσσεται», «ἐμπεσεῖται εἰς κακά». 163 17, 17.1–2 εἰς πάντα καιρὸν φίλος ὑπαρχέτω σοι· ἀδελφοὶ δὲ ἐν ἀνάγκαις χρήσιμοι

Scholia on Proverbs§13

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13If the sons of Christ are brothers to one another, and the angels and the righteous men are sons of Christ, then the angels and the holy men are brothers to one another, being born to this through the adoption in the Spirit. For this reason they are born by Wisdom, so that they might lead men from wickedness to virtue and from ignorance to the knowledge of God, if indeed 'the whole creation groans and suffers together and was made subject to futility not by its own will' (Romans 8:22).

A man prone to change will fall into evils; he is one who is prone to change readily from virtue into wickedness. One receiving gifts in his heart unjustly, his paths will not be straight; but the impious one turns away from the paths of righteousness. One receiving unjust thoughts in his heart, his paths will not be straight; for the passionate thoughts are called gifts being offered to us by the demons. Or the impious one will receive gifts in his heart to turn away from the paths of judgment.

But a foolish heart causes pain to that which possesses it; a father is not gladdened by an undisciplined son, but a wise son gladdens his mother. The wise one gladdens his mother, but the fool causes grief to the one who gave birth to him. The face of a wise man is a countenance of prudence; but the eyes of the fool are upon the edge of the earth, and the heart of the fool is in the extreme of wickedness.

A foolish son is anger to his father and grief to the one who gave birth to him. The wise son has both a father and a mother, but the foolish son has only the one who gave birth to him; for the mother is also the one who gave birth, but the one who gave birth is not always a mother. For if that which was born dies in wickedness and ignorance, she is indeed the one who gave birth, but she is not a mother, because that which was born did not share in the Spirit of adoption. Likewise, this will be understood regarding sensible mothers and regarding sensible death; for we will call the mother 'the one who gave birth', but the one who gave birth is no longer a mother once the child has died.

Regarding Prov 17:26, those who are just cannot seek to harm a just man, for they do not seek our things, but us.

Regarding 17:27, he who is sparing of a harsh word is known; but a patient man is wise. He called the thought that moves the passion a harsh word. Or he called the word that moves the passion of his neighbor a harsh word.

Regarding 17:28, when a fool asks for wisdom, wisdom will be calculated; but one making himself appear to be nothing will seem to be wise. If this one asks about wisdom, he is the one desiring to learn something about wisdom; while he who is silent from wisdom is the one desiring to know nothing about wisdom; therefore the former is said to be wiser than the latter.

Regarding 18:1, a man desiring to separate from friends seeks excuses; but at all times he will be a source of trouble. He says excuses regarding sins; 'for to make excuses is to make excuses in sins,' he says. But he joins all the saints to himself through virtue.

Regarding 18:2, one lacking sense does not need wisdom; for rather he is led by foolishness, for he loved the darkness more than the light.

Regarding 18:5, to marvel at the face of an impious man is neither good nor holy; the just man turns away in judgment. He who accepts the inherent evil and acts according to it, this one marvels at the face of the impious.

Regarding 18:6, the lips of a fool lead him into evils; and his mouth calls for his bold death. If death is born from boldness, and death separates the soul from true life, boldness separates us from the one saying, 'I am the life' (John 14:6). And just as death is born from boldness, so life is born from meekness; for meekness is the opposite of boldness.

Regarding 18:8.1, fear casts down the slackers; fear, namely, the enemy of fear, or the fear of the Lord, separating them from slackness through good works.

Regarding 18:8.2, the souls of the effeminate hunger; the effeminate is he who does not teach...

Greek · §13

ἔστωσαν Εἰ οἱ τοῦ Χριστοῦ υἱοὶ ἀλλήλων εἰσὶν ἀδελφοί, οἱ ἄγγελοι δὲ καὶ οἱ δίκαιοι ἄνθρωποι Χριστοῦ εἰσιν υἱοί, οἱ ἄγγελοι ἄρα καὶ οἱ ἅγιοι ἄνθρωποι ἀλλήλων εἰσὶν ἀδελφοί, τῷ τῆς υἱοθεσίας γεννώμενοι πνεύματι. 164 17, 17.3 τούτου γὰρ χάριν γεννῶνται «Τούτου γὰρ χάριν γεννῶνται» ὑπὸ τῆς σοφίας, ἵνα ἀνθρώπους ὁδηγήσωσιν ἀπὸ κακίας ἐπ' ἀρετὴν καὶ ἀπὸ ἀγνωσίας ἐπὶ γνῶσιν θεοῦ, εἴγε «καὶ αὐτὴ ἡ κτίσις στενάζει καὶ συνωδίνει ἡμῖν καὶ ὑπετάγη τῇ ματαιότητι οὐχ ἑκοῦσα». 165 17, 20.2 ἀνὴρ εὐμετάβολος γλώσσῃ ἐμπεσεῖται εἰς κακά Οὗτός ἐστιν εὐμετάβολος ὁ ῥᾳδίως ἀπὸ ἀρετῆς ἐπὶ κακίαν μεταβαλλόμενος. 166 17, 23 λαμβάνοντος δῶρα ἐν κόλπῳ ἀδίκως οὐ κατευοδοῦνται ὁδοί· ἀσεβὴς δὲ ἐκκλίνει ὁδοὺς δικαιοσύνης Ἐν καρδίᾳ νοήματα λαμβάνοντος ἄδικα οὐ κατευοδοῦνται ὁδοί· τὰ γὰρ ἐμπαθῆ νοήματα ὠνόμασε δῶρα παρὰ τῶν δαιμόνων ἡμῖν προσφερόμενα. Ἢ δῶρα ἐν κόλπῳ ἀσεβὴς λήψεται τοῦ ἐκκλῖναι ὁδοὺς κρίσεως. 167 17, 21 καρδία δὲ ἄφρονος ὀδύνη τῷ κεκτημένῳ αὐτήν, οὐκ εὐφραίνεται πατὴρ ἐφ' υἱῷ ἀπαιδεύτῳ· υἱὸς δὲ φρόνιμος εὐφραίνει μητέρα αὐτοῦ Ὁ μὲν φρόνιμος εὐφραίνει τὴν μητέρα· ὁ δὲ ἄφρων ὀδυνᾷ τὴν τεκοῦσαν αὐτόν. 168 17, 24 πρόσωπον συνετὸν ἀνδρὸς σοφοῦ· οἱ δὲ ὀφθαλμοὶ τοῦ ἄφρονος ἐπ' ἄκρᾳ γῆς Καρδία δὲ ἄφρονος ἐν ἄκρᾳ κακίᾳ. 169 17, 25 ὀργὴ πατρὶ υἱὸς ἄφρων καὶ ὀδύνη τῇ τεκούσῃ αὐτοῦ Ὁ μὲν φρόνιμος υἱὸς καὶ τεκοῦσαν ἔχει καὶ μητέρα· ὁ δὲ ἄφρων υἱὸς μόνον τεκοῦσαν· ἡ γὰρ μήτηρ καὶ τεκοῦσά ἐστιν· ἡ δὲ τεκοῦσα οὐ πάντως ἐστὶν καὶ μήτηρ. Ἐὰν γὰρ ἀποθάνῃ τὸ τεχθὲν ἐν κακίᾳ καὶ ἀγνωσίᾳ, τεκοῦσα μέν ἐστιν, μήτηρ δὲ οὐκ ἔστιν, ὅτι μηδὲ τοῦ τῆς υἱοθεσίας πνεύματος μετέσχηκε τὸ τεχθέν. Ὡσαύτως δὲ καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν αἰσθητῶν μητέρων νοηθήσεται καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ θανάτου τοῦ αἰσθητοῦ· τὴν γὰρ μητέρα ἐροῦμεν καὶ τεκοῦσαν· τὴν δὲ τεκοῦσαν οὐκέτι μητέρα τοῦ παιδίου ἀποθανόντος. 170 17, 26 ζημιοῦν ἄνδρα δίκαιον οὐ καλὸν οὐδὲ ὅσιον ἐπιβουλεύειν δυνάσταις δικαίοις Οὐ 14 γὰρ ζητοῦσι τὰ ἡμῶν, ἀλλ' ἡμᾶς. 171 17, 27 ὃς φείδεται ῥῆμα προέσθαι σκληρόν, ἐπιγνώμων· μακρόθυμος δὲ ἀνὴρ φρόνιμος Τὸν λογισμὸν τὸν κινοῦντα θυμὸν ὠνόμασεν ῥῆμα σκληρόν. Ἢ τὸν λόγον τὸν κινοῦντα τοῦ πλησίον αὐτοῦ θυμὸν ὠνόμασεν ῥῆμα σκληρόν. 172 17, 28 ἀνοήτῳ ἐπερωτήσαντι σοφίαν σοφία λογισθήσεται· ἐνεὸν δέ τις ἑαυτὸν ποιήσας δόξει φρόνιμος εἶναι Εἰ οὗτος ἐρωτᾷ περὶ σοφίας ὁ βουλόμενός τι περὶ σοφίας μαθεῖν, οὗτος σιωπᾷ ἀπὸ σοφίας ὁ μηθὲν θέλων γνῶναι περὶ σοφίας· διὸ καὶ φρονιμώτερος λέγεται εἶναι ὁ πρότερος τοῦ δευτέρου. 173 18, 1 προφάσεις ζητεῖ ἀνὴρ βουλόμενος χωρίζεσθαι ἀπὸ φίλων· ἐν παντὶ δὲ καιρῷ ἐπονείδιστος ἔσται Προφάσεις λέγει τὰς ἁμαρτίας· «τοῦ προφασίζεσθαι γάρ, φησίν, προφάσεις ἐν ἁμαρτίαις.» Φίλους δὲ πάντας τοὺς ἁγίους οἷς δι' ἀρετῆς συνήπτετο. 174 18, 2 οὐ χρείαν ἔχει σοφίας ἐνδεὴς φρενῶν· μᾶλλον γὰρ ἄγεται ἀφροσύνῃ Ἠγάπησεν γὰρ τὸ σκότος μᾶλλον ἢ τὸ φῶς. 175 18, 5 θαυμάσαι πρόσωπον ἀσεβοῦς οὐ καλὸν οὐδὲ ὅσιον ἐκκλίνειν τὸ δίκαιον ἐν κρίσει Ὁ τὴν ἐνυπάρχουσαν κακίαν τῷ διαβόλῳ ἀποδεχόμενος καὶ κατ' αὐτὴν ἐνεργῶν, οὗτος θαυμάζει τὸ πρόσωπον τοῦ ἀσεβοῦς. 176 18, 6 χείλη ἄφρονος ἄγουσιν αὐτὸν εἰς κακά· τὸ δὲ στόμα αὐτοῦ τὸ θρασὺ θάνατον ἐπικαλεῖται Εἰ ὁ θάνατος γεννᾶται ἀπὸ θρασύτητος, ὁ δὲ θάνατος χωρίζει ψυχὴν ἀπὸ τῆς ὄντως ζωῆς, ἡ θρασύτης ἡμᾶς ἀποχωρίζει ἀπὸ τοῦ εἰπόντος· «ἐγώ εἰμι ἡ ζωή.» Καὶ ὥσπερ ἐκ τῆς θρασύτητος γεννᾶται ὁ θάνατος, οὕτως ἐκ τῆς πραΰτητος ἡ ζωή· ἀντίκειται γὰρ τῇ θρασύτητι ἡ πραύτης. 177 18, 8.1 ὀκνηροὺς καταβάλλει φόβος Ὀκνηροὺς καταβάλλει φόβος ἤτοι ὁ ἐχθρὸς φόβος ἢ ὁ τοῦ κυρίου χωρίζων αὐτοὺς τοῦ ὄκνου διὰ ἔργων ἀγαθῶν. 178 18, 8.2 ψυχαὶ δὲ ἀνδρογύνων πεινάσουσιν Ἀνδρόγυνός ἐστιν ὁ μήτε διδάσκειν

Spiritual Friendship and False Witness§14

14He is unable to learn anything from another, desiring to be independent.

He who does not discipline himself in his own works is a brother to him who defiles himself. And Paul says: 'If anyone cleanses himself, he will be a vessel useful to the master.'

Great in power is the name of the Lord; but those running to him are exalted as righteous. The name of the Lord signifies the knowledge of God. And through righteous living the righteous run toward him; but through contemplation they are exalted.

Before crushing, the heart of a man is exalted, and before glory it is humbled. Just as crushing follows pride, so glory follows humbling.

He who answers a word before hearing it, folly is to him and a reproach. It is a reproach to this man, who, not having received knowledge from God, attempts to teach others. And David says: 'To hear the voice of your lovingkindness and' then 'to recount' and to others 'your wonders.' And again Solomon says: 'What your eyes have seen, speak.'

A man's spirit is stilled by a prudent servant; but who will consider a small-souled man? Just as our Lord is said to become a rushing leopard toward those who transgress and a stone of stumbling toward those who disobey, so also the small-souled man is toward those sinning. It can also be said that the evil one and every demon has fallen away from virtue and knowledge regarding the small-souled.

A man's house expands him and establishes him among the powerful. He spoke of the upright life just now, 'a man's house,' which expands him and provides him worthy of the fullness of God, which he calls the seat of the holy powers; for the mind is a seat, an excellent state, difficult to move or immovable, preserving the one seated.

A lot stops contention; but among the powerful it defines the state. Knowledge stops folly; for this is the lot of the rational nature.

Death and life are in the power of the tongue; and those holding it give its fruits. Here he says the soul is receptive of death and life, from which we fashion its free agency.

He who found a good wife, found grace... But he who holds an adulterous, foolish, and impious wife. 'He who found' wisdom 'good, found grace.' 'But he who...'

He possesses wickedness, the fool and the ungodly. Wealth adds many friends, but the poor man is deprived even of the friend he already had. Wealth adds many angels to us through knowledge and wisdom, but the unclean man is separated even from the angel given to him from childhood. For spiritual friendship is virtue and knowledge of God, through which we are joined to holy friendship by power, if repentant men become causes of joy to the angels. Thus also the Savior calls his servants friends, having at times deemed them worthy of the greater vision. Thus also Abraham, having become rich in that mystical knowledge, set a table for the friends appearing to him at midday. But Saul is separated even from his existing friend because of wickedness; for it is written, 'And the spirit of God departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the Lord tormented Saul' (1 Sam 16:14), the spirit of the Lord calling the angel; 'for he who makes his angels spirits and his ministers a burning fire' (Ps 104:4), he says. And that even angels believe in men, the Lord teaches in the Gospels: 'See,' he says, 'do not despise one of these little ones, for their angels always behold the face of my Father in heaven' (Matt 18:10). And again Jacob: 'the angel who delivers me from all evils' (Gen 32:30). And Zechariah: 'and the angel was speaking in me' (Luke 1:19).

A false witness shall not go unpunished; but he who accuses unjustly shall not escape. Those who, being ignorant of the words concerning judgment and providence, blaspheme the Creator, these accuse unjustly. And those again, being troubled by their own passions, think virtue to be unavailing, these accuse the Giver of the law unjustly.

A good understanding draws near to those who know it; but a prudent man will find it. The knowledge of God now names 'understanding,' and those who know it are the pure in heart.

He who does much evil perfects wickedness; but he who provokes words shall not be saved. Passionate thoughts provoke the soul toward wickedness.

Luxury does not benefit the fool. Neither intellectual luxury nor sensual luxury benefits the fool. For he will trample it underfoot with his feet, being a lover of pigs; but by the...

Greek · §14

ἄλλον δυνάμενος μήτε μανθάνειν ὑφ' ἑτέρου βουλόμενος. 179 18, 9 ὁ μὴ ἰώμενος ἑαυτὸν ἐν τοῖς ἔργοις αὐτοῦ ἀδελφός ἐστιν τοῦ λυμαινομένου ἑαυτόν Καὶ ὁ Παῦλός φησιν· «ἐὰν οὖν τις ἐκκαθάρῃ ἑαυτόν, ἔσται σκεῦος χρήσιμον τῷ δεσπότῃ.» 180 18, 10 ἐκ μεγαλωσύνης ἰσχύος ὄνομα κυρίου· αὐτῷ δὲ προσδραμόντες δίκαιοι ὑψοῦνται Τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ κυρίου τὴν τοῦ θεοῦ γνῶσιν σημαίνει. Καὶ διὰ μὲν τοῦ ὀρθοῦ βίου προστρέχουσιν αὐτῷ οἱ δίκαιοι· διὰ δὲ θεωρίας ὑψοῦνται. 181 18, 12 πρὸ συντριβῆς ὑψοῦται καρδία ἀνδρὸς καὶ πρὸ δόξης ταπεινοῦται Ὥσπερ τῇ ὑπερηφανίᾳ ἕπεται συντριβή, οὕτως τῇ ταπεινώσει δόξα. 182 18, 13 ὃς ἀποκρίνεται λόγον πρὶν ἀκοῦσαι, ἀφροσύνη αὐτῷ ἐστιν καὶ ὄνειδος Χρηστέον τούτῳ τῷ ῥητῷ πρὸς τοὺς μὴ λαβόντας μὲν γνῶσιν παρὰ θεοῦ, διδάσκειν δὲ ἄλλους ἐπιχειροῦντας. Καὶ ὁ ∆αυίδ φησιν· «τοῦ ἀκοῦσαι φωνὴν αἰνέσεώς σου καὶ» τότε «διηγήσασθαι» καὶ ἄλλοις «τὰ θαυμάσιά σου». Καὶ πάλιν ὁ Σολομών φησιν· «ἃ εἶδον οἱ ὀφθαλμοί σου, λέγε.» 183 18, 14 θυμὸν ἀνδρὸς πραΰνει θεράπων φρόνιμος· ὀλιγόψυχον δὲ ἄνδρα τίς ὑποίσει; Ὥσπερ ὁ κύριος ἡμῶν πάρδαλις ἀπορουμένη λέγεται γίνεσθαι πρὸς τοὺς πλημμελοῦντας καὶ πέτρα σκανδάλου πρὸς τοὺς ἀπειθοῦντας, οὕτω καὶ ὀλιγόψυχος ἐπὶ τοῖς ἁμαρτάνουσιν. ∆ύναται δὲ ὀλιγόψυχον λέγειν καὶ τὸν πονηρὸν καὶ πάντα δαίμονα ἀρετῆς ἐκπεπτωκότα καὶ γνώσεως. 184 18, 16 δόμα ἀνθρώπου ἐμπλατύνει αὐτὸν καὶ παρὰ δυνάσταις καθιζάνει αὐτόν Τὸν βίον τὸν ὀρθὸν νῦν εἶπεν δόμα ἀνθρώπου, ὅστις αὐτὸν πλατύνει καὶ παρέχει τοῦ πληρώματος ἄξιον τοῦ θεοῦ, ὅπερ καθέδραν τῶν ἁγίων δυνάμεων ὀνομάζει· νοῦ γὰρ καθέδρα ἐστὶν ἕξις ἀρίστη δυσκίνητον ἢ ἀκίνητον διατηροῦσα τὸν καθεζόμενον. 185 18, 18 ἀντιλογίας παύει κλῆρος· ἐν δὲ δυνάσταις ὁρίζει Ἄνοιαν παύει γνῶσις· αὕτη γάρ ἐστιν ὁ κλῆρος τῆς φύσεως τῆς λογικῆς. 186 18, 21 θάνατος καὶ ζωὴ ἐν χειρὶ γλώσσης· οἱ δὲ κρατοῦντες αὐτῆς ἔδονται τοὺς καρποὺς αὐτῆς Ἐνταῦθα λέγει τὴν ψυχὴν εἶναι θανάτου καὶ 15 ζωῆς δεκτικήν, ἀφ' ὧν τὸ αὐτεξούσιον αὐτῆς γεγονέναι κατασκευάζομεν. 187 18, 22.1 ὃς εὗρεν γυναῖκα ἀγαθήν, εὗρεν χάριτας ... 18, 22α.2 ὁ δὲ κατέχων μοιχαλίδα ἄφρων καὶ ἀσεβής «Ὃς εὗρεν» σοφίαν «ἀγαθήν, εὗρεν χάριτας». 188 «Ὁ δὲ κατέχων» κακίαν «ἄφρων καὶ ἀσεβής». 189 19, 4 πλοῦτος προστίθησι φίλους πολλούς· ὁ δὲ πτωχὸς καὶ ἀπὸ τοῦ ὑπάρχοντος φίλου λείπεται Πλοῦτος γνώσεως καὶ σοφίας προστίθησιν ἡμῖν ἀγγέλους πολλούς· ὁ δὲ ἀκάθαρτος καὶ ἀπὸ τοῦ δοθέντος αὐτῷ ἐκ παιδὸς ἀγγέλου χωρίζεται. Ἡ γὰρ πνευματικὴ φιλία ἐστὶν ἀρετὴ καὶ γνῶσις θεοῦ, δι' ὧν συναπτόμεθα πρὸς φιλίαν ταῖς ἁγίαις δυνάμεσιν, εἴγε οἱ μετανοοῦντες ἄνθρωποι χαρᾶς αἴτιοι γίνονται τοῖς ἀγγέλοις. Οὕτως καὶ ὁ σωτὴρ φίλους καλεῖ τοὺς δούλους ποτὲ τῆς μείζονος αὐτοὺς θεωρίας καταξιώσας. Οὕτω καὶ Ἀβραὰμ πλουτήσας ἐν γνώσει τὴν μυστικὴν ἐκείνην παρατίθησι τράπεζαν τοῖς κατὰ τὴν μεσημβρίαν φίλοις φανεῖσιν αὐτῷ. Σαοὺλ δὲ καὶ ἀπὸ τοῦ ὑπάρχοντος φίλου διὰ τὴν κακίαν χωρίζεται· γέγραπται γὰρ «καὶ ἀπέστη πνεῦμα θεοῦ ἀπὸ Σαοὺλ καὶ πνεῦμα πονηρὸν παρὰ κυρίου ἔπνιγε τὸν Σαούλ», πνεῦμα κυρίου λέγων τὸν ἄγγελον· «ὁ ποιῶν γάρ, φησίν, τοὺς ἀγγέλους αὐτοῦ πνεύματα καὶ τοὺς λειτουργοὺς αὐτοῦ πῦρ φλέγον.» Ὅτι δὲ καὶ ἄγγελοι τοὺς ἀνθρώπους πεπίστευνται, διδάσκει ἐν τοῖς εὐαγγελίοις ὁ κύριος· «ὁρᾶτε, λέγων, μὴ καταφρονήσητε ἑνὸς τῶν μικρῶν τούτων, ὅτι οἱ ἄγγελοι αὐτῶν διὰ παντὸς βλέπουσι τὸ πρόσωπον τοῦ πατρός μου τοῦ ἐν οὐρανοῖς.» Καὶ πάλιν ὁ Ἰακώβ· «ὁ ἄγγελος ὁ ῥυόμενός με ἀπὸ πάντων τῶν κακῶν». Καὶ ὁ Ζαχαρίας· «καὶ εἶπεν ὁ ἄγγελος ὁ λαλῶν ἐν ἐμοί.» 190 19, 5 μάρτυς ψευδὴς οὐκ ἀτιμώρητος ἔσται· ὁ δὲ ἐγκαλῶν ἀδίκως οὐ διαφεύξεται Ὅσοι τοὺς περὶ κρίσεως καὶ προνοίας ἀγνοοῦντες λόγους τὸν δημιουργὸν βλασφημοῦσιν, οὗτοι ἐγκαλοῦσιν ἀδίκως. Καὶ ὅσοι πάλιν ὑπὸ τῶν ἰδίων παθῶν ἐνοχλούμενοι νομίζουσιν ἀκατόρθωτον εἶναι τὴν ἀρετήν, οὗτοι τῷ δεδωκότι τὸν νόμον ἐγκαλοῦσιν ἀδίκως. 191 19, 7.3–4 ἔννοια ἀγαθὴ τοῖς εἰδόσιν αὐτὴν ἐγγιεῖ· ἀνὴρ δὲ φρόνιμος εὑρήσει αὐτήν Τὴν τοῦ θεοῦ γνῶσιν νῦν ὠνόμασεν ἔννοιαν καὶ τοὺς εἰδότας αὐτὴν τοὺς καθαροὺς τῇ καρδίᾳ. 192 19, 7.5–6 ὁ πολλὰ κακοποιῶν τελεσιουργεῖ κακίαν· ὃς δὲ ἐρεθίζει λόγους οὐ σωθήσεται Οἱ ἐμπαθεῖς λογισμοὶ ἐρεθίζουσι τὴν ψυχὴν πρὸς κακίαν. 193 19, 10.1 οὐ συμφέρει ἄφρονι τρυφή Οὔτε ἡ νοητὴ τρυφὴ οὔτε ἡ αἰσθητὴ συμφέρει τῷ ἄφρονι. Τὴν μὲν γὰρ καταπατήσει τοῖς ποσί, χοῖρος φιλήδονος ὤν· ὑπὸ δὲ τῆς

Loss, Wisdom, and the Discipline of the Father§15

15The flesh of a person of sensual luxury will be moved.

A merciful man is patient; but his boasting comes upon the lawless (Proverbs 19:11). If one boasts correctly in the Lord—and our Lord is wisdom—then the one boasting correctly boasts in wisdom. Therefore, the boasting of the patient and merciful one, which is his wisdom and his knowledge, comes upon the lawless, freeing them from wickedness now somewhat imperfectly, but necessarily in the age to come.

The threat of a king is like the roar of a lion; but his pleasantness is like dew on grass (Proverbs 19:12). Our Lord becomes a consuming fire and an angry lion toward those sinning, consuming wood, grass, reed, and the flesh that wages war against the spirit; but toward those walking uprightly, He is light and dew, showing them the words of things that have happened and extinguishing the inflamed arrows of the evil one and cooling the heat arising from the practical life.

He named the unclean soul a prostitute, and has called its wages the condition of prostitution, from which prayers do not become pure (Proverbs 19:13).

It is for the fathers to teach the sons about virtue and the knowledge of the God of the fathers; but to give wisdom to the children is the Lord's (Proverbs 19:14). For there he calls woman wisdom: 'For you have been loved by wisdom, he says, and she will preserve you; honor her, so that she may embrace you' (Proverbs 14:1).

The commandments are called commandments as toward the God who commands; but they are called ways as toward the mind walking in them (Proverbs 19:16). And again, because they were given upon the witnesses of heaven and earth, the commandments are called testimonies; therefore also the one receiving them is named a witness, who, having lied about them, will not be without punishment.

He who keeps a commandment preserves his own soul; but he who despises his own ways will perish (Proverbs 19:16).

He named the purity of heart 'gift' now; for by analogy of our apatheia we are made worthy of knowledge (Proverbs 19:17).

He who is of a bad mind will suffer much loss; and if he is struck by plague, even his soul...

I think the great loss consists in the deprivation of the contemplation of things, while the addition to the soul is the vanishing of natural conceptions about God, leading it entirely into irrationality. And the Savior says in the Gospels: 'What will a man profit, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul' (Matt 16:26) and 'be harmed' (Matt 16:26). But here the loss shows the ignorance of bodies and incorporeal things; while the harm presents the ultimate irrationality.

Listen, son, to the instruction of your father, so that you may become wise in your later years (Prov 1:8). The 'later years' here does not mean time, but the purity following the practical virtues.

The fear of the Lord is life to a man (Prov 14:27); but the one without fear will slip in places where knowledge is not observed. If 'the fear of the Lord is life to a man' (Prov 14:27) and 'the fear of the Lord is instruction and wisdom' (Prov 1:7), then the life of the man is instruction and wisdom. But Christ says: 'I am the life' (John 14:6); therefore Christ is instruction and wisdom. Thus, 'to know instruction and wisdom' is to know Christ. The one without fear will be in wickedness and ignorance, in which Christ is not.

He who hides his hands in his lap unjustly will not even bring them to his mouth (Prov 20:20). He who does not correctly live hides the hands unjustly in his soul, not wishing to work his own land nor to be filled with bread; for the practical virtues have a logic, bringing to our mouths the bread descending from the heavens and giving life to the world.

He who dishonors his father and pushes away his mother will be disgraced and will be a mocker (Prov 20:24). Through the transgression of the law he dishonors God, and he pushes away the mother, who is the instruction, if 'a righteous man is born unto life' (Prov 2:1). And righteousness consists of all the virtues.

A son left to guard the instruction of a father will meditate on evil sayings (Prov 23:7). The impure thoughts are evil sayings being born in the soul of one who has not kept the commandments of the heavenly Father.

Unrestrained wine and insulting drunkenness (Prov 23:21). If 'their wine is the fury of dragons' (Rev 17:4), then the wine is unrestrained, and therefore the fury is unrestrained, the people...

Greek · §15

αἰσθητῆς τρυφῆς ἡ σὰρξ αὐτοῦ κινηθήσεται. 194 19, 11 ἐλεήμων ἀνὴρ μακροθυμεῖ· τὸ δὲ καύχημα αὐτοῦ ἐπέρχεται παρανόμοις Εἰ ὁ καυχώμενος ὀρθῶς ἐν κυρίῳ καυχᾶται, ὁ δὲ κύριος ἡμῶν σοφία ἐστίν, ὁ καυχώμενος ἄρα ὀρθῶς ἐν σοφίᾳ καυχᾶται. Τὸ καύχημα τοίνυν τοῦ μακροθύμου καὶ ἐλεήμονος, ὅπερ ἐστὶν ἡ σοφία καὶ ἡ γνῶσις αὐτοῦ, ἐπέρχεται τοῖς παρανόμοις, ἀπαλλάττον αὐτοὺς τῆς κακίας νῦν μὲν ἐνδεχομένως, ἀναγκαίως δὲ ἐν τῷ αἰῶνι τῷ μέλλοντι. 195 19, 12 βασιλέως ἀπειλὴ ὁμοία βρυγμῷ λέοντος· ὥσπερ δὲ δρόσος ἐπὶ χόρτῳ, οὕτως τὸ ἱλαρὸν αὐτοῦ Ὁ κύριος ἡμῶν πῦρ μὲν καταναλίσκον καὶ λέων ὀργιζόμενος γίνεται πρὸς τοὺς ἁμαρτάνοντας, κατακαίων ξύλα, χόρτον, καλάμην καὶ τὴν σάρκα τὴν στρατευομένην κατὰ τοῦ πνεύματος ἀναλίσκων· φῶς δὲ καὶ δρόσος πρὸς τοὺς κατορθοῦντας, δεικνὺς αὐτοῖς τῶν γεγονότων τοὺς λόγους καὶ κατασβεννύων τὰ πεπυρωμένα βέλη τοῦ πονηροῦ καὶ περιψύχων τὸν ἐκ τῆς πρακτικῆς συμβαίνοντα καύσωνα. 196 19, 13.2 οὐχ ἁγναὶ εὐχαὶ ἀπὸ μισθώματος ἑταίρας Τὴν ἀκάθαρτον ψυχὴν ἑταίραν ὠνόμασεν καὶ ταύτης τὸ μίσθωμα τὴν κατάστασιν εἴρηκεν, ἀφ' ἧς οὐ καθαραὶ γίνονται προσευχαί. 197 19, 14 οἶκον καὶ ὕπαρξιν μεριοῦσι πατέρες παισίν· παρὰ δὲ κυρίου ἁρμόζεται γυνὴ ἀνδρί Τὸ μὲν διδάσκειν τοὺς υἱοὺς περὶ ἀρετῆς καὶ 16 γνώσεως θεοῦ τῶν πατέρων ἐστίν· τὸ δὲ σοφίαν δοῦναι τοῖς παισὶ τοῦ κυρίου ἐστίν. Γυναῖκα γὰρ ἐνταῦθα τὴν σοφίαν λέγει· «ἐράσθητι γάρ, φησί, τῆς σοφίας καὶ τηρήσει σε· τίμησον αὐτήν, ἵνα σε περιλάβῃ.» 198 19, 16 ὃς φυλάσσει ἐντολὴν τηρεῖ τὴν ἑαυτοῦ ψυχήν· ὁ δὲ καταφρονῶν τῶν ἑαυτοῦ ὁδῶν ἀπολεῖται Αἱ ἐντολαὶ ὡς πρὸς μὲν τὸν ἐντειλάμενον θεὸν καλοῦνται ἐντολαί· ὡς δὲ πρὸς τὸν ὁδεύοντα νοῦν ἐν αὐταῖς καλοῦνται ὁδοί. Καὶ πάλιν ἐπειδὴ ἐπὶ μαρτύρων οὐρανοῦ καὶ γῆς ἐδόθησαν, αἱ ἐντολαὶ λέγονται μαρτύρια· διὸ καὶ ὁ δεξάμενος αὐτὰ νοῦς ὀνομάζεται μάρτυς, ὅστις ψευσάμενος αὐτὰ οὐκ ἀτιμώρητος ἔσται. 199 19, 17 δανίζει θεῷ ὁ ἐλεῶν πτωχόν· κατὰ δὲ τὸ δόμα αὐτοῦ ἀνταποδώσει αὐτῷ ∆όμα νῦν τὴν καθαρότητα τῆς καρδίας ὠνόμασεν· κατ' ἀναλογίαν γὰρ τῆς ἀπαθείας ἡμῶν καταξιούμεθα γνώσεως. 200 19, 19 κακόφρων ἀνὴρ πολλὰ ζημιωθήσεται· ἐὰν δὲ λοιμεύηται, καὶ τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ προσθήσει Ἐγὼ νομίζω τὴν μὲν πολλὴν ζημίαν στέρησιν περιέχειν τῆς θεωρίας τῶν γεγονότων, τὴν δὲ προσθήκην τῆς ψυχῆς ἀφανισμὸν τῶν φυσικῶν περὶ θεοῦ ἐννοιῶν, παντάπασιν αὐτῆς εἰς ἀλογίαν περιπεσούσης. Καὶ ὁ σωτὴρ δὲ ἐν τοῖς εὐαγγελίοις φησίν· «τί ὠφεληθήσεται ἄνθρωπος, ἐὰν τὸν κόσμον ὅλον κερδήσῃ, τὴν δὲ ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ» ἀπολέσῃ καὶ «ζημιωθῇ». Ἀλλ' ἐνταῦθα μὲν ἡ ἀπώλεια τὴν ἄγνοιαν σωμάτων καὶ ἀσωμάτων ἐμφαίνει· ἡ δὲ ζημία τὴν ἐσχάτην ἀλογίαν παρίστησιν. 201 19, 20 ἄκουε, υἱέ, παιδείαν πατρός σου, ἵνα σοφὸς γένῃ ἐπ' ἐσχάτων σου Μετὰ τὴν ὀρθὴν πολιτείαν ἐστὶν ἡ γνῶσις. Τὸ γὰρ ἐπ' ἐσχάτων ἐνταῦθα οὐ τὸν χρόνον σημαίνει, ἀλλὰ τὴν μετὰ τὰς πρακτικὰς ἀρετὰς καθαρότητα. 202 19, 23 φόβος κυρίου εἰς ζωὴν ἀνδρί· ὁ δὲ ἄφοβος αὐλισθήσεται ἐν τόποις οὗ οὐκ ἐπισκοπεῖται γνῶσις Εἰ «φόβος κυρίου εἰς ζωὴν ἀνδρί», «φόβος δὲ κυρίου παιδεία καὶ σοφία», ζωὴ τοῦ ἀνδρὸς παιδεία ἐστὶ καὶ σοφία. Ἀλλ' ὁ Χριστὸς λέγει· «ἐγώ εἰμι ἡ ζωή»· ὁ Χριστὸς ἄρα ἐστὶν παιδεία καὶ σοφία. Τὸ οὖν «γνῶναι παιδείαν καὶ σοφίαν» γνῶναί ἐστιν τὸν Χριστόν. Ὁ οὖν ἄφοβος ἔσται ἐν κακίᾳ καὶ ἀγνωσίᾳ, ἐν αἷς οὐκ ἔστιν Χριστός. 203 19, 24 ὁ ἐγκρύπτων εἰς τὸν κόλπον αὐτοῦ χεῖρας ἀδίκως οὐδὲ τῷ στόματι οὐ μὴ προσαγάγῃ αὐτάς Ὁ μὴ ὀρθῶς βιοὺς κρύπτει ἐν τῇ ψυχῇ αὐτοῦ τὰς χεῖρας ἀδίκως, τὴν ἑαυτοῦ γῆν ἐργάσασθαι μὴ βουλόμενος μηδ' ἐμπλησθῆναι ἄρτων· αἱ γὰρ πρακτικαὶ ἀρεταὶ χειρῶν ἐπέχουσι λόγον, τὸν ἄρτον τῷ στόματι ἡμῶν προσφέρουσαι τὸν ἀπὸ τῶν οὐρανῶν καταβάντα καὶ ζωὴν διδόντα τῷ κόσμῳ. 204 19, 26 ὁ ἀτιμάζων πατέρα καὶ ἀπωθούμενος μητέρα αὐτοῦ καταισχυνθήσεται καὶ ἐπονείδιστος ἔσται ∆ιὰ τῆς παραβάσεως τοῦ νόμου τὸν θεὸν ἀτιμάζει καὶ τὴν μητέρα δὲ ἀπωθεῖται, ἥτις ἐστὶν ἡ παιδεία, εἴπερ «ἀνὴρ δίκαιος γεννᾶται εἰς ζωήν». Ἡ δὲ δικαιοσύνη ἀπὸ πασῶν συνίσταται τῶν ἀρετῶν. 205 19, 27 υἱὸς ἀπολειπόμενος φυλάξαι παιδείαν πατρὸς μελετήσει ῥήσεις κακάς Οἱ ἀκάθαρτοι λογισμοὶ ῥήσεις εἰσὶ κακαὶ ἐν τῇ ψυχῇ γεννώμεναι τοῦ μὴ τετηρηκότος τὰς ἐντολὰς τοῦ ἐπουρανίου πατρός. 206 20, 1.1 ἀκόλαστον οἶνος καὶ ὑβριστικὸν μέθη Εἰ «θυμὸς δρακόντων ὁ οἶνος αὐτῶν», ἀκόλαστον δὲ ὁ οἶνος, ἀκόλαστον ἄρα ὁ θυμός, ἀκολάστους τοὺς

Scholia on Proverbs§16

16It makes men, and anger is insolent; for this is the intoxication that is prone to arise from a boiling spirit. If the Nazirites abstain from wine according to the law, then it has been legislated that the Nazirites be excluded from anger.

The threat of a king does not differ from the anger of a lion; but he who is provoked by it sins against his own soul. Here Christ has been spoken of in opposition as a king; for he who sins against his own soul by being provoked by this one the king sins.

The one who insults while being lazy is not ashamed; likewise the one who borrows grain in a famine. If it is possible to borrow grain in a famine, it is also possible to borrow spiritual grain in the coming age from those who worked in the six years for their own land and who feed widows and orphans in the seventh year.

He who conducts himself blamelessly in righteousness will leave his children blessed, whom he has made manifest through virtue.

A lamp will be extinguished by one slandering a father or a mother; and the maidens of his eyes will see darkness. The same Christ is able, by intention, to be both father and mother; father to those possessing the Spirit through adoption, and mother to those needing milk and not solid food. For the Christ speaking in Paul became a father to the Ephesians, revealing mysteries of wisdom to them, and a mother to the Corinthians, giving them milk to drink.

A portion being studied in the first things will not be blessed in the last. 'It parches the throat for a time'; 'later indeed you will find it more bitter, like bile.'

Do not say: 'I will fight the enemy'; but endure the Lord, so that he may help you. Do not say, moved by pride: 'I alone will fight the enemies'; but endure the Lord, so that he may help you. And David says: 'I do not hope in my own bow, nor shall my sword save me' (Ps 118:71). And again: 'A false horse for salvation' (Prov 28:13) and 'Unless the Lord builds a house and guards a city' (Ps 127:1).

I think that what is called by some a 'great and small weight' is a great excess and deficiency; for both are evils.

The one who suffers well...

One who intends harm to another, but does not himself intend to allow others to rest, has a double measure, not obeying the commandment which says: 'Whatever you want men to do to you, do likewise to them' (Matt 7:12).

An ear that hears and an eye that sees are both works of the Lord. It is not the eye that sees badly that is the work of the Lord, but the one seeing; nor is it the ear that hears badly the work of the Lord, but the one hearing; and the same must be said concerning the other members of the body. Use this saying against those who slander us, insulting this body and the Creator.

Do not love to speak maliciously, so that you may not be caught; but open your eyes and be filled with bread. Through virtues we open the eyes of the soul; and through the wisdom of intelligible things we are filled with bread.

A double weight and a deceitful scale are an abomination to the Lord (Prov 11:1). The mind, which is naturally inclined to judge things rightly, but deviates by the inclination of self-will, calls a deceitful scale a 'deceitful scale.'

The steps of a man are directed by the Lord (Ps 37:23); but how can a mortal man understand His ways? A mortal man who has not died together with Christ cannot understand the ways of the Lord.

It is a quick snare for a man to sanctify his own things; for after praying, repentance happens. Repentance toward good things does not happen to the righteous, but to the unrighteous. Let the unrighteous not promise anything to God without careful consideration; for 'after praying, repentance happens.'

A wise man is a winnowing fan for an impious king and imposes a threshing floor upon them, separating the chaff from the wheat. 'Make them as a threshing floor' (Prov 3:10).

The light of the Lord is the breath of men, a lamp that searches the treasury of the belly. If the light of the Lord is the knowledge of the Lord, and the light of the Lord is the breath of men, then the knowledge of the Lord is the breath of men. He named the one who seems to be a lamp in ignorance, emptying the mind of good things and transforming himself into an angel of light (2 Cor 11:14).

To do justice and to speak truth pleasing to God rather than the blood of sacrifices. This saying casts out the sacrifice through irrational animals; for 'a sacrifice to God is a broken spirit' (Ps 51:17). Toward the crooked, crooked paths.

Greek · §16

ἀνθρώπους ποιῶν, καὶ ὑβριστικὸν ἡ ὀργή· αὕτη γὰρ ἡ μέθη ἀπὸ ζέοντος τοῦ θυμοῦ πέφυκε γίνεσθαι. Εἰ δὲ οἴνου οἱ ναζιραῖοι κατὰ τὸν νόμον ἀπέχονται, θυμοῦ ἄρα τοὺς ναζιραίους ἐκτὸς εἶναι νενομοθέτηται. 207 20, 2 οὐ διαφέρει ἀπειλὴ βασιλέως θυμοῦ λέοντος· ὁ δὲ παροξύνων αὐτὸν ἁμαρτάνει εἰς τὴν ἑαυτοῦ ψυχήν Ἐνταῦθα τὸν Χριστὸν ἄντικρυς εἴρηκε βασιλέα· ὁ γὰρ τοῦτον διὰ τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν παροξύνων ἁμαρτάνει εἰς τὴν ἑαυτοῦ ψυχήν. 208 20, 4 ὀνειδιζόμενος ὀκνηρὸς οὐκ αἰσχύνεται· ὡσαύτως καὶ ὁ δανιζόμενος σῖτον ἐν ἀμήτῳ Εἰ ἔστιν ἐν ἀμήτῳ σῖτον δανείσασθαι, ἔστιν καὶ ἐν τῷ αἰῶνι τῷ μέλλοντι νοητὸν σῖτον δανείσασθαι παρὰ τῶν 17 ἐργασαμένων ἐν τοῖς ἓξ ἔτεσι τὴν ἑαυτῶν γῆν καὶ τρεφόντων ἐν τῷ ἑβδόμῳ ἔτει χήρας καὶ ὀρφανούς. 209 20, 7 ὃς ἀναστρέφεται ἄμωμος ἐν δικαιοσύνῃ, μακαρίους τοὺς παῖδας αὐτοῦ καταλείψει Οὓς κατ' ἀρετὴν δηλονότι γεγέννηκεν. 210 20, 9α κακολογοῦντος πατέρα ἢ μητέρα σβεσθήσεται λαμπτήρ· αἱ δὲ κόραι τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν αὐτοῦ ὄψονται σκότος ∆ύναται ὁ αὐτὸς Χριστὸς κατ' ἐπίνοιαν καὶ πατὴρ εἶναι καὶ μήτηρ· πατὴρ μὲν τῶν πνεῦμα ἐχόντων υἱοθεσίας, μήτηρ δὲ τῶν δεομένων γάλακτος καὶ οὐ στερεᾶς τροφῆς. Καὶ γὰρ ὁ ἐν Παύλῳ λαλῶν Χριστὸς πατὴρ μὲν τῶν Ἐφεσίων ἐγίνετο, σοφίας αὐτοῖς ἀποκαλύπτων μυστήρια, μήτηρ δὲ Κορινθίων, γάλα ποτίζων αὐτούς. 211 20, 9β μερὶς ἐπισπουδαζομένη ἐν πρώτοις, ἐν τοῖς τελευταίοις οὐκ εὐλογηθήσεται «Ἣ πρὸς καιρὸν λιπαίνει» μερὶς «σὸν φάρυγγα· ὕστερον μέντοι πικρότερον χολῆς εὑρήσεις». 212 20, 9ξ μὴ εἴπῃς· τίσομαι τὸν ἐχθρόν· ἀλλὰ ὑπόμεινον τὸν κύριον, ἵνα σοι βοηθήσῃ Μὴ εἴπῃς καθ' ὑπερηφανίαν κινούμενος· ἐγὼ μόνος τοῖς ἐχθροῖς πολεμήσω· ἀλλ' ὑπόμεινον τὸν κύριον, ἵνα σοι βοηθήσῃ. Καὶ ὁ ∆αυίδ φησιν· «οὐκ ἐπὶ τῷ τόξῳ μου ἐλπιῶ καὶ ἡ ῥομφαία μου οὐ σώσει με.» Καὶ πάλιν· «ψευδὴς ἵππος εἰς σωτηρίαν» καὶ «ἐὰν μὴ κύριος οἰκοδομήσῃ οἶκον καὶ φυλάξῃ πόλιν». 213 20, 10 στάθμιον μέγα καὶ μικρὸν καὶ μέτρα δισσά, ἀκάθαρτα ἐνώπιον κυρίου καὶ ἀμφότερα Τὸν παρά τισι θρασύδειλον λεγόμενον στάθμιον μέγα καὶ μικρὸν εἶναι νομίζω καὶ καθόλου πᾶσαν ὑπερβολὴν καὶ ἔλλειψιν στάθμιον μέγα καὶ μικρὸν εἶναι νομίζω· ἑκάτερα γὰρ κακίαι. 214 Ὁ εὖ μὲν πάσχειν ὑφ' ἑτέρου βουλόμενος, αὐτὸς δὲ ὁμοίως ἄλλους ἀναπαύειν μὴ προαιρούμενος, μέτρα ἔχει δισσά, μὴ πειθόμενος τῇ ἐντολῇ τῇ λεγούσῃ· «πάντα ὅσα θέλετε ἵνα ποιῶσιν ὑμῖν οἱ ἄνθρωποι, ταῦτα καὶ ὑμεῖς ὁμοίως ποιεῖτε αὐτοῖς.» 215 20, 12 οὖς ἀκούει καὶ ὀφθαλμὸς ὁρᾷ· κυρίου ἔργα καὶ ἀμφότερα Οὐχ ὁ κακῶς ὁρῶν ὀφθαλμὸς ἔργον ἐστὶ τοῦ κυρίου, ἀλλ' ὁ ὁρῶν· καὶ οὐ τὸ κακῶς ἀκοῦον οὖς ἔργον ἐστὶ τοῦ κυρίου, ἀλλὰ τὸ ἀκοῦον· καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν ἄλλων δὲ μελῶν τοῦ σώματος ὡσαύτως λεκτέον. Χρήσῃ δὲ τῷ ῥητῷ τούτῳ πρὸς τοὺς κακηγοροῦντας ἡμῶν τοῦτο τὸ σῶμα καὶ τὸν δημιουργὸν ἐνυβρίζοντας. 216 20, 13 μὴ ἀγάπα καταλαλεῖν, ἵνα μὴ ἐξαρθῇς· διάνοιξον δὲ τοὺς ὀφθαλμούς σου καὶ ἐμπλήσθητι ἄρτων ∆ιὰ μὲν τῶν ἀρετῶν ἀνοίγομεν τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς τῆς ψυχῆς· διὰ δὲ τῆς σοφίας νοητῶν πληρούμεθα ἄρτων. 217 20, 23 βδέλυγμα κυρίῳ δισσὸν στάθμιον καὶ ζυγὸς δόλιος οὐ καλὸν ἐνώπιον αὐτοῦ Ζυγὸν δόλιον λέγει τὸν νοῦν πεφυκότα μὲν δικαίως κρίνειν τὰ πράγματα, παρακλίνοντα δὲ τῇ τοῦ αὐτεξουσίου ῥοπῇ. 218 20, 24 παρὰ κυρίου εὐθύνεται διαβήματα ἀνδρί· θνητὸς δὲ πῶς ἂν νοήσαι τὰς ὁδοὺς αὐτοῦ; Οὐ δύναται νοῆσαι τὰς ὁδοὺς κυρίου ὁ ἔτι θνητὸς καὶ μὴ συναποθανὼν τῷ Χριστῷ. 219 20, 25 παγὶς ἀνδρὶ ταχύ τι τῶν ἰδίων ἁγιάσαι· μετὰ γὰρ τὸ εὔξασθαι μετανοεῖν γίνεται Ἡ ἐπὶ τοῖς ἀγαθοῖς μετάνοια οὐ δικαίοις συμβαίνει, ἀλλὰ ἀδίκοις. Ἄδικοι δὲ μηδὲν ἀπερισκέπτως ὑπισχνείσθωσαν τῷ θεῷ· «μετὰ γὰρ τὸ εὔξασθαι μετανοεῖν γίνεται.» 220α 20, 26 λικμήτωρ ἀσεβῶν βασιλεὺς σοφὸς καὶ ἐπιβαλεῖ αὐτοῖς τροχόν Χωρίζων τὰ ἄχυρα ἀπὸ τοῦ σίτου. «Ποίησον αὐτοὺς ὡς τροχόν.» 221 20, 27 φῶς κυρίου πνοὴ ἀνθρώπων, ἡ λύχνος ὃς ἐρευνᾷ ταμίεια κοιλίας Εἰ τὸ φῶς τοῦ κυρίου ἡ γνῶσις τοῦ κυρίου ἐστί, τὸ δὲ φῶς τοῦ κυρίου ἡ πνοὴ τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἐστίν, ἡ ἄρα γνῶσις τοῦ κυρίου ἡ πνοὴ τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἐστίν. Τὸν δὲ ἐν ἀγνοίᾳ διάβολον φαίνειν δοκοῦντα λύχνον ὠνόμασεν ἐκκενοῦντα τὸν νοῦν τῶν ἀγαθῶν καὶ μετασχηματιζόμενον εἰς ἄγγελον φωτός. 222 21, 3 ποιεῖν δίκαια καὶ ἀληθεύειν ἀρεστὰ παρὰ θεῷ μᾶλλον ἢ θυσιῶν αἷμα Ἐκβάλλει τὸ ῥητὸν τοῦτο τὴν διὰ τῶν ἀλόγων ζῴων θυσίαν· «θυσία γὰρ τῷ θεῷ πνεῦμα συντετριμμένον.» 223 21, 8 πρὸς τοὺς σκολιοὺς σκολιὰς ὁδοὺς 18

Exegesis of Proverbs§17

17God sends; for His works are pure and upright. If the works of God are pure and upright, and the mind is one of His works, then the mind was created by the Lord upright and pure.

It is better to dwell on an open corner than in houses inhabited through injustice and in a common house. He set the open corner against the house that is inhabited and common. If the inhabited and common house is wickedness, then the open corner is virtue. A corner, therefore, is a practice of contemplation, touching and being illuminated by the sun of justice. And Paul also rightly said of the high priest of the Jews that the wall was inhabited and would be struck by God. And the Savior in the Gospels said of the Pharisees that they were tombs inhabited. It is also well said of the corner, where the stone lies, rejected by the builders and having become the head of a corner. And he who is not of the one God said 'common'.

A secret gift subdues passions; but he who restrains his temper stirs up a strong gift. A secret gift is such that the left hand does not know what the right hand does. A man wandering from the way of righteousness will find rest in a gathering of giants. The gathering of giants is wickedness and ignorance.

It is better to dwell in a desert land than with a contentious, talkative, and angry woman. And David says: 'In a desert land and uncultivated and without water, thus I appeared to you in the holy place.' A desert, therefore, is the virtue which does not have the old men dwelling in it, those who decay according to the desires of disease. Therefore the devil does not even find rest in it, if 'he passes through waterless places seeking rest and does not find it'; 'for he himself is king of all those in the waters'; and again of wisdom: 'the dwellings of her are narrow.' If this is so, is not the contentious, talkative, and angry woman wickedness itself?

He makes the one living with her a fighter, a talker, and an angry person.

A desirable treasure rests upon the mouth of the wise; but foolish men swallow it. The wisdom of the Lord rests in the heart of the wise, but foolish men destroy it.

A wise man ascended fortified cities and pulled down the rampart upon which the ungodly had trusted. Wisdom is a fortified city in which the wise dwell, 'demolishing arguments and every exaltation raised up against the knowledge of God' (2 Cor 10:5).

He who guards his mouth and preserves his tongue keeps his soul from distress. Mouth and tongue are soul and mind; for soul they say is passion and desire, which some call the passive part of the soul.

An ungodly man desires evil desires all day long; but the righteous man shows mercy and compassion without stint. Regarding angels, it is never to desire evil desires; regarding men, it is sometimes to desire and sometimes not to desire evil desires; regarding demons, it is always to desire evil desires. For 'all the day' signifies through life. Such is also 'be in the fear of the Lord all the day,' instead of through life.

A horse is prepared for the day of war; but the help is from the Lord. The mind says 'horse'; for 'will he not mount your horses, and your cavalry is salvation' (Ps 20:7), he says; and regarding Paul, the Lord says, 'to bear my name' (Acts 9:16).

A more excellent name is better than much wealth; but grace is better than silver and gold. He said the virtue signified by the proper name is beautiful; for this beautiful name is that which the signified good possesses. Thus, we shall not praise an unjust woman even if she is called justice, but the one possessing justice, even if she is named injustice.

A rich man and a poor man met one another; but the Lord made both.

Greek · §17

ἀποστελεῖ ὁ θεός· ἁγνὰ γὰρ καὶ ὀρθὰ τὰ ἔργα αὐτοῦ Εἰ ἁγνὰ καὶ ὀρθὰ τὰ ἔργα τοῦ θεοῦ, ἓν δὲ τῶν ἔργων αὐτοῦ ἐστιν καὶ ὁ νοῦς, ὀρθὸς ἄρα καὶ ἁγνὸς ἐκτίσθη παρὰ τοῦ κυρίου ὁ νοῦς. 224 21, 9 κρεῖσσον οἰκεῖν ἐπὶ γωνίας ὑπαίθρου ἢ ἐν κεκονιαμένοις μετὰ ἀδικίας καὶ ἐν οἴκῳ κοινῷ Τῷ οἴκῳ τῷ κεκονιαμένῳ καὶ κοινῷ τὴν ὕπαιθρον γωνίαν ἀντέθηκεν. Εἰ δὲ ὁ οἶκος ὁ κεκονιαμένος καὶ κοινὸς ἡ κακία ἐστίν, ἡ ὕπαιθρος γωνία ἡ ἀρετή ἐστιν. Γωνία τοίνυν ὕπαιθρός ἐστιν πρᾶξις θεωρίας ἐφαπτομένη καὶ φωτιζομένη ὑπὸ τῆς δικαιοσύνης ἡλίου. Καλῶς δὲ καὶ ὁ Παῦλος τὸν ἀρχιερέα τῶν Ἰουδαίων τοῖχον εἶπεν κεκονιαμένον τυπτηθησόμενον ὑπὸ τοῦ θεοῦ. Καὶ ὁ σωτὴρ δὲ ἐν τοῖς εὐαγγελίοις τοὺς φαρισαίους τάφους εἶπεν κεκονιαμένους. Εὖ δὲ καὶ τὸ ἐπὶ γωνίας εἰπεῖν ἔνθα ὁ λίθος κεῖται ὁ ἀποδοκιμασθεὶς ὑπὸ τῶν οἰκοδόμων καὶ γενόμενος κεφαλὴ γωνίας. Κοινὸν δὲ εἶπεν ὁ μὴ τοῦ ἑνός ἐστιν θεοῦ. 225 21, 14 δόσις λάθριος ἀνατρέπει ὀργάς· δώρων δὲ ὁ φειδόμενος θυμὸν ἐγείρει ἰσχυρόν ∆όσις λάθριός ἐστιν, ἵν' ὃ ποιεῖ ἡ δεξιὰ μὴ γινώσκῃ ἡ ἀριστερά. 226 21, 16 ἀνὴρ πλανώμενος ἐξ ὁδοῦ δικαιοσύνης ἐν συναγωγῇ γιγάντων ἀναπαύσεται Ἡ συναγωγὴ τῶν γιγάντων ἡ κακία καὶ ἡ ἀγνωσία ἐστίν. 227 21, 19 κεῖσσον οἰκεῖν ἐν γῇ ἐρήμῳ ἢ μετὰ γυναικὸς μαχίμου καὶ γλωσσώδους καὶ ὀργίλου Καὶ ὁ ∆αυίδ φησιν· «ἐν γῇ ἐρήμῳ καὶ ἀβάτῳ καὶ ἀνύδρῳ, οὕτως ἐν τῷ ἁγίῳ ὤφθην σοι.» Ἔρημος τοίνυν γῆ ἐστιν ἡ ἀρετὴ ἡ μὴ ἔχουσα τοὺς παλαιοὺς ἀνθρώπους οἰκοῦντας τοὺς φθειρομένους κατὰ τὰς ἐπιθυμίας τῆς ἀπάτης. ∆ιὸ οὐδὲ εὑρίσκει ἐν αὐτῇ ἀνάπαυσιν ὁ διάβολος, εἴγε «διέρχεται δι' ἀνύδρων τόπων ζητῶν ἀνάπαυσιν καὶ οὐχ εὑρίσκει»· «αὐτὸς γὰρ βασιλεύς ἐστι πάντων τῶν ἐν τοῖς ὕδασι»· καὶ πάλιν τῆς σοφίας· «στεγναί, φησίν, αἱ διατριβαὶ οἴκων αὐτῆς.» Εἰ δὲ τοῦτο, οὐκοῦν καὶ ἡ γυνὴ ἡ μάχιμος καὶ γλωσσώδης καὶ ὀργίλος ἡ κακία ἐστίν, ἥτις τὸν συζῶντα αὐτῇ ποιεῖ μάχιμον καὶ γλωσσώδη καὶ ὀργίλον. 228 21, 20 θησαυρὸς ἐπιθυμητὸς ἀναπαύσεται ἐπὶ στόματος σοφο ἐπὶ στόματος σοφοῦ· ἄφρονες δὲ ἄνδρες καταπίονται αὐτόν Σοφία κυρίου ἀναπαύσεται ἐν καρδίᾳ σοφοῦ· ἄφρονες δὲ ἄνδρες διαφθεροῦσιν αὐτήν. 229 21, 22 πόλεις ὀχυρὰς ἐπέβη σοφὸς καὶ καθεῖλεν τὸ ὀχύρωμα, ἐφ' ᾧ ἐπεποίθεισαν οἱ ἀσεβεῖς Ἡ σοφία ἐστὶν πόλις ὀχυρά, ἐν ᾗ οἱ σοφοὶ κατοικοῦσι «λογισμοὺς καθαιροῦντες καὶ πᾶν ὕψωμα ἐπαιρόμενον κατὰ τῆς γνώσεως τοῦ θεοῦ». 230 21, 23 ὃς φυλάσσει τὸ στόμα αὐτοῦ καὶ τὴν γλῶσσαν διατηρεῖ ἐκ θλίψεως τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ Στόμα καὶ γλῶσσαν ψυχὴν καὶ νοῦν· ψυχὴν δέ φασιν θυμὸν καὶ ἐπιθυμίαν, ὅπερ τινὲς παθητικὸν μέρος ὀνομάζουσι τῆς ψυχῆς. 231 21, 26 ἀσεβὴς ἐπιθυμεῖ ὅλην τὴν ἡμέραν ἐπιθυμίας κακάς· ὁ δὲ δίκαιος ἐλεᾷ καὶ οἰκτείρει ἀφειδῶς Ἀγγέλων μὲν τὸ μὴ ἐπιθυμεῖν ποτε ἐπιθυμίας κακάς· ἀνθρώπων δὲ τό ποτε μὲν ἐπιθυμεῖν, ποτὲ δὲ μὴ ἐπιθυμεῖν ἐπιθυμίας κακάς· δαιμόνων δὲ τὸ ἀεὶ ἐπιθυμεῖν ἐπιθυμίας κακάς. Τὸ γὰρ ὅλην τὴν ἡμέραν τὸ διὰ βίου δηλοῖ. Τοιοῦτόν ἐστιν καὶ τὸ «ἐν φόβῳ κυρίου ἴσθι ὅλην τὴν ἡμέραν», ἀντὶ τοῦ διὰ βίου. 232 21, 31 ἵππος ἑτοιμάζεται εἰς ἡμέραν πολέμου· παρὰ δὲ κυρίου ἡ βοήθεια Ἵππον λέγει τὸν νοῦν· «ἐπιβήσῃ γάρ, φησίν, ἐπὶ τοὺς ἵππους σου καὶ ἡ ἱππασία σου σωτηρία»· καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ Παύλου ὁ κύριος «τοῦ βαστάσαι τὸ ὄνομά μού» φησιν. 233 22, 1 αἱρετώτερον ὄνομα καλὸν ἢ πλοῦτος πολύς· ὑπὲρ δὲ ἀργύριον καὶ χρυσίον χάρις ἀγαθή Τὴν σημαινομένην ἀρετὴν ὑπὸ τοῦ οἰκείου ὀνόματος ὄνομα εἶπεν καλόν· τοῦτο γὰρ τὸ ὄνομα καλόν ἐστιν ὅπερ ἔχει τὸ σημαινόμενον ἀγαθόν. Οὕτως οὐδὲ τὴν ἄδικον γυναῖκα δικαιοσύνην καλουμένην ἐπαινέσομεν, ἀλλὰ τὴν ἔχουσαν τὴν δικαιοσύνην, κἂν ἀδικία ὀνομάζηται. 234 22, 2 πλούσιος καὶ πτωχὸς συνήντησαν ἀλλήλοις· ἀμφοτέρους δὲ ὁ κύριος ἐποίησεν Ὁ μὲν πλούσιος διὰ τῶν

The Shepherd and the Slanderer§18

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18Almsgiving purifies the passion while acquiring love; and the poor man is trained to be humble through his poverty.

Four generations of wisdom: fear of the Lord, wealth, glory, and life. 'These are the generations of Noah' (Gen 5:32), 'these are the generations of Abraham' (Gen 11:10).

Thorns and snares in crooked paths; but he who guards his own soul will escape them (Prov 2:18). And the Lord says to Adam: 'the earth shall bring forth for you thorns and thistles' (Gen 3:18), that is, the soul. Thorns and thistles he calls the sins, from which even the crown of Christ was struck; for he himself bore the sin of the world.

The rich shall rule the poor, and servants shall lend to their own masters (Prov 22:4). In the age to come, those enriched in every way in all knowledge and all wisdom shall rule over the unclean and those deprived of this wealth.

But who are the servants and who are the masters? It is not necessary now to publish this, because the word concerning them is mystical and deeper.

God blesses a cheerful and giving man (Prov 22:8a); but the Lord brings to completion the vanity of his works through virtue and knowledge (Prov 22:8b).

The one giving gifts acquires victory and honor (Prov 22:9a), but his soul is taken away from what he has possessed. The gifts of a man are called virtues, through which, conquering the devil, he offers himself as an honor to God, and his soul is taken away from the demons who had possessed it.

'Cast out a pestilence from the council, and strife shall come out with him' (Prov 22:10); for when he sits in a council, he dishonors all. He spoke of the most critical state, from which the wise Solomon wishes to cast out the man through spiritual teaching; and the strife signifies contention. He may also mean a pestilence and the devil, whom it is necessary to drive away from the soul. For if he sits in it, through impurity he dishonors all the righteous thoughts. And the apostle also shows the soul as a council, into which he introduces accusing thoughts and defending ones; 'for, he says, among one another, thoughts are either accusing or defending' (2 Cor 1:24 allusion); where there is accusation and defense, there is also a council.

A king shall rule with his lips (Prov 22:11); and the eyes of the Lord shall preserve perception (Prov 22:12); but the lawless one makes words contemptible.

The Lord himself is the shepherd of our souls and through spiritual knowledge he shepherds us, a knowledge which he who transgresses his law despises. It should be noted that since Christ is king, he is said to shepherd us through his condescension; 'for I,' he says, 'am the good shepherd' (John 10:11). But if he is a king among kings and a shepherd of sheep, he will at some time be only a king, as a dignity for those sheep who have transitioned into the kingdom.

The enemy, the devil, is seen to say: 'a lion in the roads, and murderers in the streets' (Prov 28:1); our enemy the devil prowls about like a lion seeking someone to devour, whom the sluggard, fearing him, rises up to meet in the work of virtues.

'A deep pit, the mouth of the lawless' (Prov 22:13); but he who is hated by the Lord will fall into it. Job, not being hated by the Lord, but on account of testing, fell into it (Job 5:7).

'Folly spreads from the heart of a youth; but a rod and instruction are far from him' (Prov 22:15); far from the heart of the foolish is the rod which is from the root of Jesse (Isa 11:1).

'The slanderer's poverty does many of his own evils; but he gives to the rich upon less' (Prov 14:4); just as the devil slanders us, taking from us the virtues which he did not give to us, so also we slander him, taking from him the evils which we did not give to him. And just as we take from him the evils, as if from a poor man we take in virtues; so also we give our virtues to him at a loss, as if to a rich man we give in evil. One of the elders was saying that we are the slanderers, slandering Christ, having made him poor through us, even though he owes nothing to us, and taking much from him and giving to Satan upon the humiliation of our souls.

'Compare your ear with the words of the wise and hear my word; and examine your own heart, so that you may know that they are good' (Prov 23:23); this one hears the words of God, the one doing the things commanded by them; 'for not the hearers of the law are righteous before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified' (James 1:22).

'And you also shall write them down for yourself thrice for counsel and knowledge upon the breadth of your heart'; he who broadens his heart through purity will perceive the words of God, both the practical, the natural, and the theological. For all the...

Greek · §18

ἐλεημοσυνῶν καθαίρει θυμόν, κτώμενος τὴν ἀγάπην· ὁ δὲ πένης διὰ τῆς πενίας 19 ταπεινοφρονεῖν ἐκδιδάσκεται. 235 22, 4 γενεὰ σοφίας φόβος κυρίου καὶ πλοῦτος καὶ δόξα καὶ ζωή «Αὗται αἱ γενέσεις Νῶε», αὗται αἱ γενέσεις Ἀβραάμ. 236 22, 5 τρίβολοι καὶ παγίδες ἐν ὁδοῖς σκολιαῖς· ὁ δὲ φυλάσσων τὴν ἑαυτοῦ ψυχὴν ἀφέξεται αὐτῶν Καὶ ὁ κύριος τῷ Ἀδάμ φησιν· «ἀκάνθας καὶ τριβόλους ἀνατελεῖ σοι» ἡ γῆ, τουτέστιν ἡ ψυχή. Ἀκάνθας δὲ καὶ τριβόλους λέγει τὰς ἁμαρτίας, ἀφ' ὧν καὶ ὁ στέφανος ἐπλάκη τοῦ Χριστοῦ· αὐτὸς γὰρ ἦρε τὴν ἁμαρτίαν τοῦ κόσμου. 237 22, 7 πλούσιοι πτωχῶν ἄρξουσιν καὶ οἰκέται ἰδίοις δεσπόταις δανιοῦσιν Ἐν τῷ αἰῶνι τῷ μέλλοντι οἱ ἐν παντὶ πλουτισθέντες ἐν πάσῃ γνώσει καὶ πάσῃ σοφίᾳ ἄρξουσιν τῶν ἀκαθάρτων καὶ ἐστερημένων τούτου τοῦ πλούτου. Τίνες δὲ οἱ οἰκέται καὶ τίνες οἱ δεσπόται, νῦν οὐκ ἀναγκαῖον δημοσιεύειν διὰ τὸ εἶναι τὸν περὶ αὐτῶν λόγον μυστικὸν καὶ βαθύτερον. 238 22, 8α ἄνδρα ἱλαρὸν καὶ δότην εὐλογεῖ ὁ θεός· ματαιότητα δὲ ἔργων αὐτοῦ συντελέσει Τὴν ματαιότητα τῶν ἔργων διὰ τῆς ἀρετῆς ὁ κύριος καὶ τῆς γνώσεως συντελεῖ. 239 22, 9α νίκην καὶ τιμὴν περιποιεῖται ὁ δῶρα διδούς, τὴν μέντοι ψυχὴν ἀφαιρεῖται τῶν κεκτημένων ∆ῶρα τοῦ ἀνθρώπου τὰς ἀρετὰς ὀνομάζει, δι' ὧν νικῶν τὸν διάβολον τίμιον ἑαυτὸν παρέχει θεῷ καὶ ἀφαιρεῖται τὴν ἑαυτοῦ ψυχὴν ἀπὸ τῶν κτησαμένων αὐτὴν δαιμόνων. 240 22, 10 ἔκβαλε ἐκ συνεδρίου λοιμὸν καὶ συνεξελεύσεται αὐτῷ νεῖκος· ὅταν γὰρ καθίσῃ ἐν συνεδρίῳ, πάντας ἀτιμάζει Τὴν χειρίστην κατάστασιν συνέδριον εἶπεν, ἀφ' ἧς ὁ σοφὸς Σολομὼν ἐκβάλλεσθαι τὸν ἄνθρωπον βούλεται διὰ πνευματικῆς διδασκαλίας· τὸ δὲ νεῖκος τὴν φιλονεικίαν σημαίνει. ∆ύναται δὲ λοιμὸν καὶ τὸν διάβολον λέγειν, ὃν δεῖ ἀποδιώκειν τῆς ψυχῆς. Ἐὰν γὰρ καθίσῃ ἐν αὐτῇ, διὰ τῆς ἀκαθαρσίας πάντας τοὺς ὀρθοὺς λογισμοὺς ἀτιμάζει. Συνέδριον δὲ καὶ ὁ ἀπόστολος τὴν ψυχὴν ἀποδείκνυσι, δι' ὧν κατηγοροῦντας λογισμοὺς εἰσάγει καὶ ἀπολογουμένους· «μεταξὺ γάρ, φησίν, ἀλλήλων τῶν λογισμῶν κατηγορούντων ἢ καὶ ἀπολογουμένων»· ὅπου δὲ κατηγορία καὶ ἀπολογία, ἐκεῖ καὶ συνέδριον. 241 22, 11.3 χείλεσι ποιμαίνει βασιλεύς· 22, 12 οἱ δὲ ὀφθαλμοὶ κυρίου διατηρήσουσιν αἴσθησιν· φαυλίζει δὲ λόγους παράνομος Ὁ διατηρῶν τὰς ψυχὰς ἡμῶν κύριος αὐτὸς καὶ διὰ τῆς πνευματικῆς γνώσεως ποιμαίνει ἡμᾶς, ἥντινα γνῶσιν φαυλίζει ὁ παραβαίνων τὸν νόμον αὐτοῦ. Σημειωτέον δὲ ὅτι βασιλεὺς ὢν ὁ Χριστὸς λέγεται διὰ τῆς συγκαταβάσεως ποιμαίνειν ἡμᾶς· «ἐγὼ γάρ, φησίν, εἰμὶ ὁ ποιμὴν ὁ καλός.» Εἰ δὲ βασιλεὺς μέν ἐστι βασιλευόντων, ποιμὴν δὲ προβάτων, ἔσται ποτὲ μόνον βασιλεύς, τῶν προβάτων εἰς τὸ βασιλικὸν μεταβάντων ἀξίωμα. 242 22, 13 προφασίζεται καὶ λέγει ὀκνηρός· λέων ἐν ταῖς ὁδοῖς, ἐν δὲ ταῖς πλατείαις φονευταί Ὁ ἐχθρὸς ἡμῶν διάβολος ὡς λέων περιέρχεται ζητῶν τίνα καταπίῃ, ὅντινα φοβούμενος ὁ ὀκνηρὸς πρὸς τὴν ἐργασίαν τῶν ἀρετῶν ἀναδύεται. 243 22, 14 βόθρος βαθὺς στόμα παρανόμου· ὁ δὲ μισηθεὶς ὑπὸ κυρίου ἐμπεσεῖται εἰς αὐτόν Ὁ Ἰὼβ οὐ μισηθεὶς ὑπὸ κυρίου, ἀλλὰ δοκιμῆς ἕνεκεν ἐμπέπτωκεν εἰς αὐτόν. 244 22, 15 ἄνοια ἐξῆπται καρδίας νέου· ῥάβδος δὲ καὶ παιδεία μακρὰν ἀπ' αὐτοῦ Μακρὰν ἀπὸ τῆς καρδίας τοῦ ἄφρονός ἐστιν ἡ ῥάβδος ἡ ἐκ τῆς ῥίζης Ἰεσσαί. 245 22, 16 ὁ συκοφαντῶν πένητα πολλὰ ποιεῖ τὰ ἑαυτοῦ κακά· δίδωσιν δὲ πλουσίῳ ἐπ' ἐλάσσονι Ὥσπερ ὁ διάβολος συκοφαντεῖ ἡμᾶς, λαμβάνων παρ' ἡμῶν τὰς ἀρετὰς ἃς μὴ δέδωκεν ἡμῖν, οὕτω καὶ ἡμεῖς συκοφαντοῦμεν αὐτόν, λαμβάνοντες παρ' αὐτοῦ τὰς κακίας ἃς μὴ δεδώκαμεν αὐτῷ. Καὶ καθὸ μὲν λαμβάνομεν παρ' αὐτοῦ τὰς κακίας, ὡς παρὰ πένητος ἐν ἀρεταῖς λαμβάνομεν· καθὸ δὲ τὰς ἀρετὰς ἡμῶν διδόαμεν αὐτῷ ἐπ' ἐλαττώσει ἡμῶν, ὡς πλουσίῳ ἐν κακίᾳ διδόαμεν. Ἔλεγεν δέ τις τῶν γερόντων ὅτι ἡμεῖς ἐσμὲν οἱ συκοφάνται οἱ Χριστὸν συκοφαντοῦντες πτωχεύσαντα δι' ἡμᾶς καὶ μηδὲν ὀφείλοντα ἡμῖν καὶ λαμβάνοντες παρ' αὐτοῦ πολλὰ καὶ διδόντες τῷ σατανᾷ ἐπὶ ταπεινώσει τῶν ἡμετέρων ψυχῶν. 246 22, 17 λόγοις σοφῶν παράβαλε σὸν οὖς καὶ ἄκουε ἐμὸν 20 λόγον· τὴν δὲ σὴν καρδίαν ἐπίστησον, ἵνα γνῷς ὅτι καλοί εἰσιν Οὗτος ἀκούει τῶν τοῦ θεοῦ λόγων ὁ ποιῶν τὰ προστασσόμενα ὑπ' αὐτῶν· «οὐ γὰρ οἱ ἀκροαταὶ νόμου δίκαιοι παρὰ θεῷ, ἀλλὰ οἱ ποιηταὶ τοῦ νόμου δικαιωθήσονται.» 247 22, 20 καὶ σὺ δὲ ἀπόγραψαι αὐτὰ σεαυτῷ τρισσῶς εἰς βουλὴν καὶ γνῶσιν ἐπὶ τὸ πλάτος τῆς καρδίας σου Ὁ πλατύνας διὰ τῆς καθαρότητος τὴν καρδίαν αὐτοῦ νοήσει τοὺς τοῦ θεοῦ λόγους τούς τε πρακτικοὺς καὶ τοὺς φυσικοὺς καὶ τοὺς θεολογικούς. Πᾶσα γὰρ ἡ

Exegesis of Proverbs§19

19According to the Scripture, the matter is divided quite sharply into the ethical, the natural, and the theological. To the first follows Proverbs, to the second Ecclesiastes, and to the third the Hymns of the Hymns.

Regarding Proverbs 24:8, 26: 'Do not give yourself as a surety, being ashamed of your face'; and 24:27: 'For if you do not have something from which to spread it, the layer under your sides shall be taken.' Those who entertain bad thoughts and thus honor the evil one should strive to whatever power they can through good thoughts to restore the bad ones. For if they are not able to do this, the layer under the sides of the soul—that is, virtue—shall be taken. For this is called the garment of the mind when it stands in righteousness, but it is called a cushion when the rest has fallen due to bad thoughts.

Regarding Proverbs 24:28: 'Do not move the eternal boundaries which your fathers set.' He who moves the boundaries of godliness demonstrates either superstition or impiety, and he who moves the boundaries of courage achieves either rashness or cowardice. Likewise, this should be considered regarding the other virtues, regarding the dogmas, and regarding faith itself. Above all, this must be observed concerning the Holy Trinity; for he who does not theologize divides the Holy Spirit by baptism, and he who names others as gods introduces a crowd of gods.

Regarding Proverbs 23:1: 'If you sit to dine at the table of a powerful man, observe mindfully what is set before you...' and 23:3: 'But if you are more gluttonous, do not desire his delicacies'; for these things possess a false life. For not everyone contains the more mystical intellect of the Scripture. It is necessary that the Divine Scripture be understood mindfully and spiritually; for sensory knowledge according to the history is not true.

Regarding Proverbs 23:6: 'Do not dine with a coarse man'; nor desire his foods; 23:7: 'For in whatever way anyone swallows hair, so he eats and drinks'; 23:8: 'Nor let him be brought to you, and eat your bread with him'; for he will vomit him out and will defile your beautiful words. If the coarse man eats the grain of impiety and drinks lawless wine, one must not dine with him; therefore, it is not right to be impious and lawless, for these vices defile spiritual knowledge. Regarding Proverbs 23:9: 'Say nothing into the ears of a fool'...

Regarding the acquisition of your wise words: 'Say nothing wise,' that is to say, profound and mystical; for it is not fitting to cast pearls before swine. Regarding the boundaries: 'Do not shift the eternal boundaries which your fathers set,' and 'Do not enter the estate of orphans,' for wickedness is that by which they were deprived of their Father in heaven.

Regarding jealousy: 'Let not your heart envy sinners,' but be in the fear of the Lord all your days. Since it is said, 'All turns away from evil by the fear of the Lord' (Proverbs 23:17), it rightly exhorts us to turn away from all evil throughout our whole life.

Regarding offspring: 'If you keep these, you shall have offspring,' and 'your hope shall not be disappointed.' The mind has said that the right reasonings and the spiritual contemplations are offspring. Therefore, the soul is barren which does not have these offspring, which it is nature to bring forth from the spiritual bridegroom.

Regarding drunkenness and fornication: 'Every drunkard and fornicator shall be poor, and shall clothe himself in torn and ragged things.' There is no wedding garment that is torn and ragged. Regarding the mother: 'Listen, son, to the father of him who begot you, and do not despise that your mother has grown old.' One of the elders heard someone saying the soul is the mother of the mind; for this, he says, leads the mind into light through the practical virtues. The 'soul' referred to was the passionate part of the soul, which is divided into spirit and desire. For through courage and temperance, he says, we acquire wisdom and knowledge of God. Courage and temperance are the virtues of spirit and desire.

Regarding wines: 'Not of those who intoxicate with wines? Not of those who track where the drinking takes place?' These wines are from the vine of Sodom. Regarding fellowship: 'Do not get drunk with wine, but converse with righteous men, and converse in your walkings.' The Mind, conversing in walkings, walks worthily of the calling wherewith he was called.

Regarding eyes and cups: 'If you give your eyes to bowls and cups.' Sin resembles a bowl according to thought, and a cup according to energy. Regarding nakedness: 'Later you will walk more naked than the proud.' The proud knock much and do not open the place they knock at. But to the disciples the Lord says, 'Knock and it shall be opened to you' (Matthew 7:7). Regarding the eyes and mouth: 'Your eyes, when they see something foreign, your mouth then will speak.'

Greek · §19

κατὰ τὴν γραφὴν πραγματεία τέμνεται τριχῶς εἰς ἠθικὴν καὶ φυσικὴν καὶ θεολογικήν. Καὶ ἀκολουθεῖ τῇ μὲν πρώτῃ αἱ Παροιμίαι, τῇ δὲ δευτέρᾳ ὁ Ἐκκλησιαστής, τῇ δὲ τρίτῃ τὰ Ἄσματα τῶν ᾀσμάτων. 248 22, 26 μὴ δίδου σεαυτὸν εἰς ἐγγύην αἰσχυνόμενος πρόσωπον· 22, 27 ἐὰν γὰρ μὴ ἔχῃς πόθεν ἀποτείσῃς, λήμψονται τὸ στρῶμα τὸ ὑπὸ τὰς πλευράς σου Οἱ τοὺς φαύλους ἀναδεχόμενοι λογισμοὺς καὶ τούτῳ τιμῶντες τὸν πονηρὸν σπουδαζέτωσαν ὅση δύναμις διὰ τῶν ἀγαθῶν λογισμῶν ἀποδιδόναι τοὺς χείρονας. Ἐὰν γὰρ μὴ ἰσχύσωσι τοῦτο ποιῆσαι, λήψονται τὸ στρῶμα τὸ ὑπὸ τὰς πλευρὰς τῆς ψυχῆς, τουτέστιν τὴν ἀρετήν. Αὕτη γὰρ τοῦ μὲν ἑστῶτος ἐν τῇ δικαιοσύνῃ νοῦ ἱμάτιον λέγεται· τοῦ δὲ λοιπὸν πεσόντος διὰ τῶν φαύλων λογισμῶν ὑπόστρωμα καλεῖται. 249 22, 28 μὴ μέταιρε ὅρια αἰώνια ἃ έθεντο οἱ πατέρες σου Ὁ μετατιθεὶς τὰ ὅρια τῆς θεοσεβείας δεισιδαιμονίαν ἢ ἀσέβειαν αὐτὴν ἀποδείκνυσι καὶ ὁ μετατιθεὶς τὰ ὅρια τῆς ἀνδρείας θρασύτητα ἢ δειλίαν αὐτὴν ἀπεργάζεται. Ὡσαύτως δὲ καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν ἄλλων ἀρετῶν καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν δογμάτων καὶ ἐπ' αὐτῆς τῆς πίστεως νοητέον. Μάλιστα δὲ τοῦτο τηρητέον ἐπὶ τῆς ἁγίας τρίαδος· ὁ γὰρ μὴ θεολογῶν τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον διαλύει τὸ βάπτισμα· ὁ δὲ καὶ ἄλλους τινὰς ὀνομάζων θεοὺς δῆμον εἰσάγει θεῶν. 250 23, 1 ἐὰν καθίσῃς δειπνεῖν ἐπὶ τραπέζης δυναστοῦ, νοητῶς νόει τὰ παρατιθέμενά σοι ... 23, 3 εἰ δὲ ἀπληστότερος εἶ, μὴ ἐπιθύμει τῶν ἐδεσμάτων αὐτοῦ· ταῦτα γὰρ ἔχεται ζωῆς ψευδοῦς Οὐ γὰρ πάντες χωροῦσι τὴν μυστικωτέραν διάνοιαν τῆς γραφῆς. 251 ∆εῖ τὴν θείαν γραφὴν νοητῶς νοεῖσθαι καὶ πνευματικῶς· ἡ γὰρ κατὰ τὴν ἱστορίαν αἰσθητὴ γνῶσις οὐκ ἔστιν ἀληθής. 252 23, 6 μὴ συνδείπνει ἀνδρὶ βασκάνῳ· μηδὲ ἐπιθύμει τῶν βρωμάτων αὐτοῦ· 23, 7 ὃν τρόπον γὰρ εἴ τις καταπίοι τρίχα, οὕτως ἐσθίει καὶ πίνει· 23, 8 μηδὲ πρὸς σὲ εἰσαγάγῃς αὐτὸν καὶ φάγῃς τὸν ψωμόν σου μετ' αὐτοῦ· ἐξεμέσει γὰρ αὐτὸν καὶ λυμανεῖται τοὺς λόγους σου τοὺς καλούς Εἰ ὁ βάσκανος σῖτα ἀσεβείας ἐσθίει καὶ οἴνῳ παρανόμῳ μεθύσκεται, οὐ δεῖ δὲ συνδειπνεῖν τούτῳ, οὐ χρὴ ἄρα εἶναι ἀσεβῆ καὶ παράνομον· αὗται γὰρ αἱ κακίαι λυμαίνονται γνῶσιν πνευματικήν. 253 23, 9 εἰς ὦτα ἄφρονος μηδὲν λέγε, 253 μήποτε μυκτηρίσῃ τοὺς συνετοὺς λόγους σου Μηδὲν λέγε συνετόν, τουτέστιν βαθὺ καὶ μυστικόν· οὐ δεῖ γὰρ βάλλειν τοὺς μαργαρίτας ἔμπροσθεν τῶν χοίρων. 254 23, 10 μὴ μεταθῇς ὅρια αἰώνια ἃ ἔθεντο οἱ πατέρες σου· εἰς δὲ κτῆμα ὀρφανῶν μὴ εἰσέλθῃς Κτῆμα ὀρφανῶν ἡ κακία ἐστίν, δι' ἣν ἐστερήθησαν τοῦ ἐν οὐρανοῖς πατρός. 255 23, 17 μὴ ζηλούτω ἡ καρδία σου ἁμαρτωλούς, ἀλλὰ ἐν φόβῳ κυρίου ἴσθι ὅλην τὴν ἡμέραν Εἰ «τῷ φόβῳ κυρίου ἐκκλίνει πᾶς ἀπὸ κακοῦ», καλῶς παραινεῖ διὰ παντὸς τοῦ βίου ἐκκλίνειν ἡμᾶς ἀπὸ παντὸς κακοῦ. 256 23, 18 ἐὰν γὰρ τηρήσῃς αὐτά, ἔσται σοι ἔγγονα· ἡ δὲ ἐλπίς σου οὐκ ἀποστήσεται Τοὺς ὀρθοὺς λογισμοὺς καὶ τὰ πνευματικὰ θεωρήματα ἔγγονα εἶπεν τοῦ νοῦ. ∆ιὸ καὶ ἄτεκνός ἐστιν ἡ ψυχὴ ἡ μὴ ἔχουσα ταῦτα τὰ ἔγγονα, ἅπερ πέφυκε τίκτεσθαι ἀπὸ τοῦ πνευματικοῦ νυμφίου. 257 23, 21 πᾶς γὰρ μέθυσος καὶ πορνοκόπος πτωχεύσει καὶ ἐνδύσεται διερρηγμένα καὶ ῥακώδη πᾶς ὑπνώδης Οὐκ ἔστιν ἔνδυμα γάμου διερρηγμένον ἱμάτιον καὶ ῥακῶδες. 258 23, 22 ἄκουε, υἱέ, πατρὸς τοῦ γεννήσαντός σε καὶ μὴ καταφρόνει ὅτι γεγήρακέν σου ἡ μήτηρ Ἤκουσά τινος τῶν γερόντων τὴν 21 ψυχὴν εἰπόντος μητέρα τοῦ νοῦ· αὕτη γάρ, φησίν, διὰ τῶν πρακτικῶν ἀρετῶν εἰς φῶς προάγει τὸν νοῦν. Ψυχὴν δὲ ἔλεγεν τὸ παθητικὸν μέρος τῆς ψυχῆς, ὅπερ διαιρεῖται εἰς θυμὸν καὶ ἐπιθυμίαν. ∆ιὰ γὰρ ἀνδρείας, φησί, καὶ σωφροσύνης κτώμεθα σοφίαν καὶ γνῶσιν θεοῦ. Ἀνδρεία δὲ καὶ σωφροσύνη θυμοῦ καὶ ἐπιθυμίας ἐστὶν ἀρεταί. 259 23, 30 οὐ τῶν ἐγχρονιζόντων ἐν οἴνοις; οὐ τῶν ἰχνευόντων ποῦ πότοι γίνονται; Οἱ οἶνοι οὗτοι ἐκ τῆς σοδομιτικῆς εἰσιν ἀμπέλου. 260 23, 31.1–2 μὴ μεθύσκεσθε οἴνῳ, ἀλλὰ ὁμιλεῖτε ἀνθρώποις δικαίοις καὶ ὁμιλεῖτε ἐν περιπάτοις Νοῦς ὁμιλῶν ἐν περιπάτοις ἀξίως περιπατεῖ τῆς κλήσεως ἧς ἐκλήθη. 261 23, 31.3 ἐὰν γὰρ εἰς τὰς φιάλας καὶ τὰ ποτήρια δῷς τοὺς ὀφθαλμούς σου Ἡ μὲν κατὰ διάνοιαν ἁμαρτία ἔοικε φιάλῃ, ἡ δὲ κατ' ἐνέργειαν ποτηρίῳ. 262 23, 31.4 ὕστερον περιπατήσεις γυμνότερος ὑπέρου Πολλὰ κρούει τὸ ὕπερον καὶ οὐκ ἀνοίγει τὸν τόπον ὃν κρούει. Τοῖς δὲ μαθηταῖς ὁ κύριός φησι· «κρούετε καὶ ἀνοιγήσεται ὑμῖν.» 263 23, 33 οἱ ὀφθαλμοί σου, ὅταν ἴδωσιν ἀλλοτρίαν, τὸ στόμα σου τότε λαλήσει

The Judgment and the Sword of God§20

20A scholion: A mind having received an alien thought will meditate on evil logismoi (thoughts). But he who guards himself will inherit life (Prov 26:3).

And it will lie still, just as in the heart of a sea, and just as a pilot in a great swell, being tossed by every wind of instruction (Prov 26:4).

When will the dawn be, so that coming, I may seek with those with whom I will be gathered? The dawn of the soul is the recognition of sin (Prov 26:5).

After steering comes war, but help comes with a deliberative heart. Those shipwrecking regarding faith do not fight against the opposing spirits in war with steering (Prov 26:6).

It is also possible to say this regarding every virtue; for there is also shipwreck regarding temperance, and regarding love, and regarding freedom from greed; and regarding each doctrine, similarly, it becomes a shipwreck according to the catholic and apostolic church. If, however, one must fight against the adversaries after steering, life upon the earth is near to us as a naval battle (Prov 26:7).

Wisdom and good understanding in the gates of the wise (Prov 26:9). The gates of the wise are the practical virtues through which the wisdom of God enters.

Impurity will stain a man like a plague (Prov 26:10), in a day of evil and in a day of tribulation, until it fails away. If vice diminishes virtue, and showing that virtue corrupts vice; this indeed will happen in the age to come, until vice fails away. For it has been set to stain instead of corrupting; but impurity is corrupted, either by practical discipline or by the punishment of severity (Prov 26:11).

To rescue those being led unto death and those being driven out to be slain, let him not spare. This is the word for those being made worthy of knowledge and those neglecting instruction, many of whom are led by vice unto death (Prov 26:13).

Eat honey, O son, for it is a good thing, so that your throat may be sweetened (Prov 25:28). He who benefits from the divine writings eats honey; but he who casts out the words from those very things from which even the holy prophets and apostles have received, chews wax. And to eat honey is possible for everyone who wishes, but the wax is for the pure alone (Prov 24:15).

Do not bring near the impious thinking they are righteous, nor be deceived by the fullness of the belly. Do not betray God for the sake of pleasure; for this one is thought to be righteous and will never abandon you (Prov 24:17). If the man falls...

Do not rejoice over your enemy, nor exult in his stumbling, for the Lord will see and it will not please him, and he will turn his anger away from him. God indeed turns his anger away from the fallen one having had mercy on him, but he is angry with the one who has become proud over the fall of his enemy.

For everyone who rejoices over a perishing soul is like the devil, who does not want all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. It should be noted, however, that he spoke of a human being here, for whom the Lord has enjoined us to pray in the Gospels (1 Timothy 2:1).

Evil offspring will not be produced, but the light of the ungodly will be extinguished. Bad virtues and doctrines will not be produced—for these are the offspring of the soul—because they do not fear the Lord; but those who are in the fear of the Lord will have offspring all day long, and their hope will not fail.

Fear God, son, and the King, and do not disobey either of them, 'so that they may know you, the only true God, and whom you sent, Jesus Christ' (John 4:24). For the ungodly will be extinguished suddenly; and who will know the punishments of both? How then does the Savior say in the Gospels: 'The Father judges no one, but has given all judgment to the Son' (John 5:22)? Either punishment is one thing, and judgment is another. Punishment is indeed the deprivation of impassibility and the knowledge of God with bodily distress; but judgment is the distribution of an age according to each of the rational bodies.

The tongue of a king is a sword and not a flesh-wound; and whoever is delivered to it will be crushed, 'and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God' (Ephesians 6:17). The 'not flesh-wound' refers to the 'not sensible'. If his anger is sharpened, he consumes men with nerves.

The sword of God consumes the old men who are being corrupted according to the desires of sickness, so that, having laid aside the old man, they may put on the new one created according to God. It rattles the bones of men and burns like a flame, 'for I came to cast fire upon the earth' (Luke 12:49). He is spotless for the pure, the one having been cleansed by the Lord and abstaining from all evil.

Greek · §20

σκολιά Νοῦς δεξάμενος ἀλλότριον νόημα μελετήσει λογισμοὺς κακούς· ὁ δὲ τηρήσας ἑαυτὸν κληρονομήσει ζωήν. 264 23, 34 καὶ κατακείσῃ ὥσπερ ἐν καρδίᾳ θαλάσσης καὶ ὥσπερ κυβερνήτης ἐν πολλῷ κλύδωνι Παντὶ ἀνέμῳ τῆς διδασκαλίας περιφερόμενος. 265 23, 35.3 πότε ὄρθρος ἔσται, ἵνα ἐλθὼν ζητήσω μεθ' ὧν συνελεύσομαι; Ὄρθρος ψυχῆς ἐστιν ἐπίγνωσις ἁμαρτίας. 266 24, 6 μετὰ κυβερνήσεως γίνεται πόλεμος, βοήθεια δὲ μετὰ καρδίας βουλευτικῆς Οἱ περὶ τὴν πίστιν ναυαγοῦντες οὐ μετὰ κυβερνήσεως πολεμοῦσιν τοῖς πνεύμασι τοῖς ἀντικειμένοις τῇ θεολογίᾳ. ∆υνατὸν δὲ καὶ ἐπὶ πάσης ἀρετῆς τὸ αὐτὸ τοῦτο εἰπεῖν· ἔστι γὰρ καὶ περὶ σωφροσύνην ναυάγιον καὶ περὶ ἀγάπην καὶ περὶ ἀφιλαργυρίαν· καὶ περὶ ἕκαστον δὲ δόγμα ὁμοίως τῆς καθολικῆς καὶ ἀποστολικῆς ἐκκλησίας συμβαίνει ναυάγιον. Εἰ δὲ μετὰ κυβερνήσεως πολεμεῖν δεῖ τοῖς ἀντικειμένοις, ναυμαχίᾳ παραπλήσιος ἡμῶν ἐστιν ὁ βίος ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς. 267 24, 7.1 σοφία καὶ ἔννοια ἀγαθὴ ἐν πύλαις σοφῶν Αἱ πύλαι τῶν σοφῶν αἱ πρακτικαί εἰσιν ἀρεταὶ δι' ὧν εἰσέρχεται σοφία θεοῦ. 268 24, 9.2 ἀκαθαρσία ἀνδρὶ λοιμῷ ἐμμολυνθήσεται 24, 10 ἐν ἡμέρᾳ κακῇ καὶ ἐν ἡμέρᾳ θλίψεως, ἕως ἂν ἐκλίπῃ Εἰ ἀρετὴν ἡ κακία μειοῖ, καὶ τὴν κακίαν δηλονότι ἡ ἀρετὴ διαφθείρει· τοῦτο δὲ γενήσεται ἐν τῷ αἰῶνι τῷ μέλλοντι, ἕως ἂν ἐκλίπῃ ἡ κακία. Τὸ γὰρ ἐμμολυνθήσεται ἀντὶ τοῦ διαφθαρήσεται τέθεικεν· διαφθείρεται δὲ ἀκαθαρσία ἤτοι ὑπὸ πρακτικῆς ἢ ὑπὸ δριμείας κολάσεως. 269 24, 11 ῥῦσαι ἀγομένους εἰς θάνατον καὶ ἐκπρίω κτεινομένους, μὴ φείσῃ Χρηστέον τούτῳ τῷ ῥητῷ πρὸς τοὺς καταξιωθέντας γνώσεως καὶ ἀμελοῦντας τῆς διδασκαλίας, πολλῶν ἀπαγομένων ὑπὸ τῆς κακίας εἰς θάνατον. 270 24, 13 φάγε μέλι, υἱέ, ἀγαθὸν γὰρ κηρίον, ἵνα γλυκανθῇ σου ὁ φάρυγξ Ἐσθίει μέλι ὁ ἀπὸ τῶν θείων γραφῶν ὠφελούμενος· ὁ δ' ἀπ' αὐτῶν τῶν πραγμάτων ἐκβάλλων τοὺς λόγους, ἀφ' ὧν εἰλήφασι καὶ οἱ ἅγιοι προφῆται καὶ ἀπόστολοι, τρώγει κηρίον. Καὶ τὸ μὲν φαγεῖν μέλι παντὸς τοῦ βουλομένου ἐστίν, τὸ δὲ κηρίον μόνου τοῦ καθαροῦ. 271 24, 15 μὴ προσαγάγῃς ἀσεβῆ νομῇ δικαίων μηδὲ ἀπατηθῇς χορτασίᾳ κοιλίας Μὴ ἕνεκεν ἡδονῆς προδῷς τὸν θεόν· οὗτος γὰρ νομὴ δικαίου καὶ οὐ μὴ ἐγκαταλίπῃ σε. 272 24, 17 ἐὰν πέσῃ ὁ ἐχθρός σου, μὴ ἐπιχαρῇς αὐτῷ· ἐν δὲ τῷ ὑποσκελίσματι αὐτοῦ μὴ ἐπαίρου, 24, 18 ὅτι ὄψεται κύριος καὶ οὐκ ἀρέσει αὐτῷ καὶ ἀποστρέψει τὸν θυμὸν αὐτοῦ ἀπ' αὐτοῦ Ἀποστρέφει μὲν ὁ θεὸς τὸν θυμὸν αὐτοῦ ἀπὸ τοῦ πεσόντος, ἐλεήσας αὐτόν· ὀργίζεται δὲ τῷ ἐπαρθέντι ἐπὶ τῷ πτώματι τοῦ ἐχθροῦ αὐτοῦ. Πᾶς γὰρ ὁ ἐπιχαίρων ἀπολλυμένῃ ψυχῇ ὅμοιός ἐστι τῷ διαβόλῳ τῷ μὴ θέλοντι πάντας ἀνθρώπους σωθῆναι καὶ εἰς ἐπίγνωσιν ἀληθείας ἐλθεῖν. Σημειωτέον δὲ ὅτι ἄνθρωπον ἐνταῦθα εἴρηκε τὸν ἐχθρόν, ὑπὲρ οὗ καὶ 22 προσεύχεσθαι ἡμᾶς νενομοθέτηκεν ἐν τοῖς εὐαγγελίοις ὁ κύριος. 273 24, 20 οὐ γὰρ μὴ γένηται ἔκγονα πονηρῶν· λαμπτὴρ δὲ ἀσεβῶν σβεσθήσεται Οὐ γεννήσουσι πονηροὶ ἀρετὰς καὶ δόγματα ὀρθά –ταῦτα γάρ ἐστι γεννήματα τῆς ψυχῆς–διὰ τὸ μὴ φοβεῖσθαι αὐτοὺς τὸν κύριον· οἱ δὲ ὄντες ἐν φόβῳ κυρίου ὅλην τὴν ἡμέραν ἕξουσιν ἔγγονα καὶ ἡ ἐλπὶς αὐτῶν οὐκ ἀποστήσεται. 274 24, 21 φοβοῦ τὸν θεόν, υἱέ, καὶ βασιλέα καὶ μηδετέρῳ αὐτῶν ἀπειθήσῃς «Ἵνα γινώσκωσί σε τὸν μόνον ἀληθινὸν θεὸν καὶ ὃν ἀπέστειλας Ἰησοῦν Χριστόν.» 275 24, 22 ἐξαίφνης γὰρ τείσονται τοὺς ἀσεβεῖς· τὰς δὲ τιμωρίας ἀμφοτέρων τίς γνώσεται; Πῶς οὖν ὁ σωτὴρ ἐν τοῖς εὐαγγελίοις φησίν· «ὁ πατὴρ κρίνει οὐδένα, ἀλλὰ πᾶσαν τὴν κρίσιν δέδωκεν τῷ υἱῷ»; Ἢ ἄλλο μέν ἐστι τιμωρία, ἄλλο δὲ κρίσις. Καὶ τιμωρία μέν ἐστιν στέρησις ἀπαθείας καὶ γνώσεως θεοῦ μετ' ὀδύνης σωματικῆς· κρίσις δέ ἐστιν γένεσις αἰῶνος κατ' ἀναλογίαν ἑκάστῳ τῶν λογικῶν σώματα διανέμοντος. 276 24, 22ξ μάχαιρα γλῶσσα βασιλέως καὶ οὐ σαρκίνη· ὃς δ' ἂν παραδοθῇ συντριβήσεται «Καὶ τὴν μάχαιραν τοῦ πνεύματος, ὅ ἐστιν ῥῆμα θεοῦ.» Τὸ δὲ οὐ σαρκίνη ἀντὶ τοῦ οὐκ αἰσθητή. 277 24, 22δ ἐὰν γὰρ ὀξυνθῇ ὁ θυμὸς αὐτοῦ, σὺν νεύροις ἀνθρώπους ἀναλίσκει Τοὺς παλαιοὺς ἀνθρώπους τοὺς φθειρομένους κατὰ τὰς ἐπιθυμίας τῆς ἀπάτης ἀναλίσκει ἡ μάχαιρα τοῦ θεοῦ, ἵν' ἀποθέμενοι τὸν παλαιὸν ἄνθρωπον ἐνδύσωνται τὸν νέον τὸν κατὰ θεὸν κτισθέντα. 278 24, 22ε.1–2 καὶ ὀστᾶ ἀνθρώπων κατατρώγει καὶ συγκαίει ὥσπερ φλόξ «Πῦρ γὰρ ἦλθον βαλεῖν ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν.» 279 24, 22ε.3 ὥστε ἄβρωτα εἶναι νεοσσοῖς ἀετῶν Οὗτος ἄβρωτός ἐστι τοῖς δαίμοσιν ὁ ὑπὸ τοῦ κυρίου καθαρθεὶς καὶ ἀπεχόμενος ἀπὸ πάσης κακίας.

Ownership, Stewardship, and the Field of the Mind§21

21For I am the most foolish of all men, and there is no human wisdom in me. The Foolish One said this by way of the lack of human wisdom.

Who ascended into heaven and descended? 'No one has ascended into heaven above, except the Son of Man who descended from heaven' (John 3:13).

Who gathered the winds in a bosom? Who wetted water in a garment? Who grasped all the ends of the earth? By what faith or in what way did he gather those 'from the east and the west and the north and the sea' (Ezekiel 38:15) into the knowledge of God and have given to them a spiritual vision to deposit in the virtues? And in another way: Who through true knowledge hid false knowledge? Who deposited true knowledge in the virtues? Who 'from the east and the west and the north and the sea' (Ezekiel 38:15) gathered all the nations, making them dense with the virtues and depositing the heavenly water, the flowing from the spring of life?

Do not add to his words, so that he may not examine you and you become false; for by the law of the Lord, 'it is not permitted to add, and it is not permitted to take away' (Rev 22:18-19).

Make a vain word and a long false word far from me. Make a pseudonymous knowledge far from me.

So that, not being filled, I may not become false and say: 'Who sees me?' Or, being in need, I may steal and swear by the name of God. Lest, he says, being filled, a proud listener of knowledge I become and say: 'No one shall know my wisdom.' Lest, being filled with unapproachable knowledge, I appear to men as a liar, saying such things which those endowed with blood and flesh are not able to know.

And the following is also well-added: 'so that, not being in need, I may not steal and swear by the name of God'; for someone steals foreign theories so that he may fill his mind while starving. But this happened before the coming of the Savior; now Paul says: 'let him who steals steal no longer' (Eph 4:28), but rather let him work righteousness.

so that having acquired knowledge, one may share it with the one in need. For what indeed is that which is not ours, so that we, who have believed in Christ, should steal? For all things are ours, but we belong to Christ, through whom all things came to be, and Christ belongs to God (John 16:15).

He who steals knowledge is not the one taking from the one who previously possessed it, but the one who subtracts knowledge from a false name. For all those who have believed in Christ, receiving insights from the holy prophets and apostles, are not called thieves of others' insights, but rather heirs of ancestral goods.

Do not hand over a servant into the hands of a master, lest he curse you and you be destroyed. Flee, mind, lest you hand over yourself to evil again, if 'everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin' (1 John 3:8). And now, the one practicing sin is called sin by the devil.

But those who rebuke others will appear better; and a good blessing will come upon them. The good blessing is the intellectual one, which is distinguished from the sensory blessing.

Prepare your works for the exodus and prepare for the field. Our Lord in the Gospels named the world a field; but Solomon now has spoken of the field as the theory of the world. But the field in the Gospels is that of the existing composition of a human soul and body, for it is sensory; whereas the field indicated here is of the mind alone, being intellectual and understood from these words of the world, into which pure hearts enter.

And go after me and you will rebuild your house, 'for a house is built with wisdom' (Prov 24:3); 'but into a poorly-crafted soul wisdom will not enter.' If you leave him, he will become a wasteland and will wither and become abandoned; and the barriers of his stones will be dug up. A barrier is apatheia of the rational soul, established from the practical virtues.

Greek · §21

280 30, 2 ἀφρονέστατος γάρ εἰμι πάντων ἀνθρώπων, καὶ φρόνησις ἀνθρώπων οὐκ ἔστιν ἐν ἐμοί Ἀφρονέστατον ἑαυτὸν εἶπεν κατὰ στέρησιν τῆς ἀνθρωπίνης φρονήσεως. 281 30, 4.1 τίς ἀνέβη εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν καὶ κατέβη; «Οὐδεὶς ἀναβέβηκεν εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν ἄνω, εἰ μὴ ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ὁ ἀπὸ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ κατελθών.» 282α 30, 4.2–4 τίς συνήγαγεν ἀνέμους ἐν κόλπῳ; τίς συνέστρεψεν ὕδωρ ἐν ἱματίῳ; τίς ἐκράτησεν πάντων τῶν ἄκρων τῆς γῆς; Τίς πίστει ἢ πάντως συνήγαγε τοὺς «ἀπ' ἀνατολῶν καὶ δυσμῶν καὶ βορρᾶ καὶ θαλάσσης» ἐν τῇ γνώσει τῇ τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ δέδωκεν αὐτοῖς θεωρίαν πνευματικὴν ἐναποθεῖναι ταῖς ἀρεταῖς; Καὶ ἄλλως. Τίς διὰ τῆς ἀληθοῦς γνώσεως ἔκρυψε γνῶσιν ψευδῆ; 283 Τίς ἀληθῆ γνῶσιν ἐναπέθετο ταῖς ἀρεταῖς; 284 Τίς «ἀπ' ἀνατολῶν καὶ δυσμῶν καὶ βορρᾶ καὶ θαλάσσης» συνήγαγε πάντα τὰ ἔθνη πυκνώσας αὐτὰ ταῖς ἀρεταῖς καὶ τὸ ἐπουράνιον ὕδωρ ἐναποθέμενος τὸ ῥέον ἐκ τῆς πηγῆς τῆς ζωῆς; 285 30, 6 μὴ προσθῇς τοῖς λόγοις αὐτοῦ, ἵνα μὴ ἐλέγξῃ σε καὶ ψευδὴς γένῃ Τῷ γὰρ νόμῳ κυρίου «οὐκ ἔστιν προσθεῖναι καὶ ἀπ' αὐτοῦ οὐκ ἔστιν ἀφελεῖν». 286 30, 8.1 μάταιον λόγον καὶ ψευδῆ μακράν μου ποίησον Ψευδώνυμον γνῶσιν μακράν μου ποίησον. 287α 30, 9 ἵνα μὴ πλησθεὶς ψευδὴς γένωμαι καὶ εἴπω· τίς με ὁρᾷ; ἢ πενηθεὶς κλέψω καὶ ὀμόσω τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ θεοῦ Ἵνα μή, φησί, πλησθεὶς γνώσεως ἀκροτάτης ὑπερήφανος γένωμαι καὶ εἴπω· οὐδεὶς τὴν ἐμὴν ἐπιγνώσεται σοφίαν. Ἵνα μὴ πλησθεὶς ἀπροσίτου γνώσεως ψεύστης τοῖς ἀνθρώποις φανῶ, τοιαῦτα λέγων ὁποῖα μὴ δύνανται γινώσκειν οἱ ἐνδεδεμένοι αἵματι καὶ σαρκί. Καλῶς δὲ καὶ τὸ ἑξῆς προστέθειται τὸ «ἵνα μὴ πενηθεὶς κλέψω καὶ ὀμόσω τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ θεοῦ»· κλέπτει γάρ τις ἀλλότρια θεωρήματα, ἵνα νοῦν ἐμπλήσῃ πεινῶντα. Ἀλλὰ τοῦτο μὲν πρὸ τῆς ἐπιδημίας τοῦ σωτῆρος ἐγίνετο· νυνὶ δὲ ὁ Παῦλός φησιν· «ὁ κλέπτων μηκέτι κλεπτέτω», μᾶλλον δὲ ἐργαζέσθω δικαιοσύνην, ἵνα γνῶσιν κτησάμενος μεταδῷ καὶ τῷ χρείαν ἔχοντι. Τί γὰρ καὶ ἔστιν ὃ μὴ ἔστιν ἡμέτερον, ἵνα καὶ κλέψωμεν οἱ πεπιστευκότες Χριστῷ; Πάντα γὰρ ἡμῶν ἐστιν, ἡμεῖς δὲ Χριστοῦ, δι' οὗ τὰ πάντα ἐγένετο, Χριστὸς δὲ θεοῦ. 23 288 Οὗτος κλέπτει γνῶσιν οὐχ ὁ τὴν τοῦ προλαβόντος λαμβάνων, ἀλλ' ὁ ἐκ τῆς ψευδωνύμου ὑφαιρούμενος γνώσεως. Καὶ γὰρ πάντες οἱ πεπιστευκότες Χριστῷ ἀπὸ τῶν ἁγίων προφητῶν καὶ ἀποστόλων λαμβάνοντες θεωρήματα οὐ λέγονται κλέπται ἀλλοτρίων θεωρημάτων, ἀλλὰ μᾶλλον κληρονόμοι πατρῴων χρημάτων. 289 30, 10 μὴ παραδῷς οἰκέτην εἰς χεῖρας δεσπότου, μήποτε καταράσηταί σε καὶ ἀφανισθῇς Φυγόντα νοῦν τὴν κακίαν μὴ πάλιν παραδῷς τῇ κακίᾳ, εἴπερ «πᾶς ὁ ποιῶν τὴν ἁμαρτίαν δοῦλός ἐστι τῆς ἁμαρτίας». Ἁμαρτία δὲ νῦν ὀνομάζεται ὁ ἐνεργῶν τὴν ἁμαρτίαν διάβολος. 290 24, 25 οἱ δὲ ἐλέγχοντες βελτίους φανοῦνται· ἐπ' αὐτοὺς δὲ ἥξει εὐλογία ἀγαθή Ἡ εὐλογία ἡ ἀγαθὴ ἡ νοητή ἐστιν εὐλογία, ἥτις ἀντιδιαιρεῖται πρὸς τὴν αἰσθητὴν εὐλογίαν. 291 24, 27.1–2 ἑτοίμαζε εἰς τὴν ἔξοδον τὰ ἔργα σου καὶ παρασκευάζου εἰς τὸν ἀγρόν Ὁ μὲν κύριος ἡμῶν ἐν τοῖς εὐαγγελίοις ἀγρὸν τὸν κόσμον ὠνόμασεν· ὁ δὲ Σολομὼν ἀγρὸν νῦν εἴρηκεν τὴν θεωρίαν τοῦ κόσμου. Ἀλλ' ὁ μὲν ἐν τοῖς εὐαγγελίοις ἀγρὸς τοῦ συνεστῶτος ἐκ ψυχῆς καὶ σώματος ἀνθρώπου ἐστίν· αἰσθητὸς γάρ ἐστιν· ὁ δὲ ἐνταῦθα δηλούμενος ἀγρὸς τοῦ νοῦ μόνου ἐστίν, νοητὸς ὢν καὶ συνεστὼς ἐκ τῶν λόγων τούτου τοῦ κόσμου, εἰς ὃν καρδίαι εἰσβαίνουσι καθαραί. 292 24, 27.3–4 καὶ πορεύου κατόπισθέν μου καὶ ἀνοικοδομήσεις τὸν οἶκόν σου «Μετὰ γὰρ σοφίας οἰκοδομεῖται οἶκος»· «εἰς δὲ κακότεχνον ψυχὴν οὐκ εἰσελεύσεται σοφία.» 293 24, 31 ἐὰν ἀφῇς αὐτόν, χερσωθήσεται καὶ χορτομανήσει ὅλος καὶ γίνεται ἐκλελειμένος· οἱ δὲ φραγμοὶ τῶν λίθων αὐτοῦ κατασκάπτονται Φραγμός ἐστιν ἀπάθεια ψυχῆς λογικῆς ἐκ τῶν πρακτικῶν ἀρετῶν συνεστῶσα.

Interpretations of Proverbs§22

22Crows, mocking a father and dishonoring a mother in her old age, tore him away from the ravines, and young eagles devoured him.

These crows mystically feed the righteous, but they slaughter the unrighteous, gouging out the eyes of injustice, because they mocked the Father of all, who is God, and they dishonored the ancient knowledge that bore them. Regarding those gouging out the eyes, he called them crows; but regarding those devouring the whole man, he named them eagles, because one believes in a partial purification and the other in a total purification.

If the unpure are standing on the left of the Savior, and the goat leads these, let us hope the goat does not now signify the devil.

The weak will not be able to judge correctly if, by drinking, they forget wisdom.

Give a drink to those in sorrows and let those in pains drink wine, so that they may forget their poverty and may no longer remember their labors; for he who is intoxicated by the potency of the master's house forgets his pains.

Open your mouth and judge justly; but distinguish the poor and the weak. The poor is he who is destitute of knowledge, and the weak is the unpure.

The glory of God hides the Word, but the glory of a king honors commands. He who possesses the glory of God, he called the glory of God, and he who possesses the glory of the heavenly king, he called the glory of a king. For they hide the Word of God within themselves, so that they might not sin and so that they might honor the commands through which they act. Often we have noted this: that those possessing virtues or vices are named by the virtues or the vices. Thus, 'The Lord is just and loves justice' Psalm 11:7 refers to the just, instead of the just ones; and 'The fear of the Lord hates injustice, pride, and arrogance' Proverbs 8:13, that is, the unjust, the insolent, and the arrogant. And here too, he called the one possessing the glory of God 'the glory of God' and the one possessing the glory of the king 'the glory of a king.' Or perhaps he says 'glory of God' regarding the one glorifying God, and 'glory of a king' regarding the one glorifying the king, so that the saying might be such: the one glorifying God...

one establishes his own mind in righteousness

Greek · §22

294 30, 17 ὀφθαλμὸν καταγελῶντα πατρὸς καὶ ἀτιμάζοντα γῆρας μητρὸς ἐκκόψαισαν αὐτὸν κόρακες ἐκ τῶν φαράγγων καὶ καταφάγοισαν αὐτὸν νεοσσοὶ ἀετῶν Οὗτοι οἱ κόρακες τοὺς μὲν δικαίους τρέφουσι μυστικῶς, τοὺς δὲ ἀδίκους κολάζουσι τοὺς τῆς ἀδικίας ὀφθαλμοὺς ἐξορύττοντες, διότι τοῦ πάντων πατρὸς καὶ θεοῦ κατεγέλασαν καὶ τὴν γεννῶσαν αὐτοὺς ἀρχαίαν γνῶσιν ἠτίμασαν. Καὶ τοὺς μὲν ἐξορύσσοντας τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς τοῦ ἀσεβοῦς κόρακας εἶπεν· τοὺς δὲ ὅλον αὐτὸν κατεσθίοντας ὠνόμασεν ἀετούς, διὰ τὸ τοὺς μὲν τὴν μερικήν, τοὺς δὲ τὴν καθόλου κάθαρσιν πεπιστεῦσθαι. 295 30, 31.2 καὶ τράγος ἡγούμενος αἰπολίου Εἰ ἔριφοί εἰσιν οἱ ἀκάθαρτοι ἐξ ἀριστερῶν ὑπὸ τοῦ σωτῆρος ἱστάμενοι, ὁ δὲ τράγος ἡγεῖται τούτων, μήποτε ὁ τράγος νῦν τὸν διάβολον σημαίνει. 296 31, 5 ἵνα μὴ πιόντες ἐπιλάθωνται τῆς σοφίας καὶ ὀρθὰ κρίνειν οὐ μὴ δύνωνται τοὺς ἀσθενεῖς Οὐ μὴ δύνωνται ὀρθῶς διδάσκειν. 297 31, 6 δίδοτε μέθην τοῖς ἐν λύπαις 31, 7 καὶ οἶνον πίνειν τοῖς ἐν ὀδύναις, ἵνα ἐπιλάθωνται τῆς πενίας καὶ τῶν πόνων μὴ μνησθῶσιν ἔτι Ὁ μεθυσθεὶς ἀπὸ τῆς πιότητος τοῦ οἴκου κυρίου ἐπιλανθάνεται τῶν ὀδυνῶν. 298 31, 9 ἄνοιγε σὸν στόμα καὶ κρῖνε δικαίως· διάκρινε δὲ πένητα καὶ ἀσθενῆ Πένητα λέγει τὸν ἐστερημένον τῆς γνώσεως, ἀσθενῆ δὲ τὸν ἀκάθαρτον. 299 25, 2 δόξα θεοῦ κρύπτει λόγον· δόξα δὲ βασιλέως τιμᾷ προστάγματα Τὸν ἔχοντα τὴν δόξαν τοῦ θεοῦ δόξαν εἶπεν θεοῦ καὶ τὸν ἔχοντα τὴν δόξαν τοῦ ἐπουρανίου βασιλέως δόξαν βασιλέως ὠνόμασεν. Οὗτοι γὰρ κρύπτουσι τὸν τοῦ θεοῦ λόγον ἐν ἑαυτοῖς, ὅπως ἂν μὴ ἁμάρτωσι καὶ τιμῶσι τὰ προστάγματα, δι' ὧν ποιοῦσιν αὐτά. Πολλάκις δὲ τοῦτο παρεσημειωσάμεθα ὅτι ἀπὸ τῶν ἀρετῶν ὀνομάζονται καὶ 24 τῶν κακιῶν οἱ ἔχοντες τὰς ἀρετὰς καὶ τὰς κακίας. Οὕτω «δίκαιος κύριος καὶ δικαιοσύνας ἠγάπησεν», ἀντὶ τοῦ δικαίους· καὶ «φόβος κυρίου μισεῖ ἀδικίαν, ὕβριν τε καὶ ὑπερηφανίαν», τουτέστιν ἄδικον καὶ ὑβριστὴν καὶ ὑπερήφανον. Καὶ ἐνταῦθα δὲ τὸν ἔχοντα τὴν τοῦ θεοῦ δόξαν καὶ τὸν ἔχοντα τὴν δόξαν τοῦ βασιλέως δόξαν θεοῦ καὶ δόξαν βασιλέως ὠνόμασεν. Ἢ τάχα δόξαν θεοῦ λέγει τὸν δοξάζοντα τὸν θεὸν καὶ δόξαν βασιλέως τὸν δοξάζοντα τὸν βασιλέα, ἵν' ᾖ τοιοῦτον τὸ λεγόμενον· ὁ δοξάζων τὸν θεὸν κρύπτει τὸν λόγον αὐτοῦ καὶ ὁ δοξάζων τὸν βασιλέα τιμᾷ τὰ προστάγματα αὐτοῦ· ὁ γὰρ ἀτιμάζων αὐτὸν διὰ τῆς παραβάσεως τοῦ νόμου ἀτιμάζει αὐτόν. 300 25, 5 κτεῖνε ἀσεβεῖς ἐκ προσώπου βασιλέως, καὶ κατορθώσει ἐν δικαιοσύνῃ ὁ θρόνος αὐτοῦ Ὁ λόγῳ πνευματικῷ τὸν παλαιὸν ἄνθρωπον ἀποκτέννων τὸν φθειρόμενον κατὰ τὰς ἐπιθυμίας τῆς ἀπάτης κατορθοῖ ἐν δικαιοσύνῃ τὸν ἑαυτοῦ νοῦν, ὅστις λέγεται εἶναι θρόνος θεοῦ. Οὐδαμοῦ γὰρ πέφυκεν ἀλλαχοῦ καθέζε-σθαι σοφία καὶ γνῶσις καὶ δικαιοσύνη εἰ μὴ ἐν φύσει λογικῇ· ταῦτα δὲ πάντα ἐστὶν ὁ Χριστός. 301 25, 6 μὴ ἀλαζονεύου ἐνώπιον βασιλέως μηδὲ ἐν τόποις δυναστῶν ὑφίστασο· 25, 7.1–2 κρεῖσσον γὰρ τὸ ῥηθῆναί σοι· ἀνάβαινε πρός με, ἢ ταπεινῶσαί σε ἐν προσώπῳ δυνάστου Μὴ εἴπῃς· «ἐπάνω τῶν ἄστρων θήσομαι τὸν θρόνον μου· ἔσομαι ὅμοιος τῷ ὑψίστῳ.» Κρεῖσσον γὰρ τὸ ῥηθῆναι περὶ σοῦ τὸ «διὸ καὶ ὁ θεὸς αὐτὸν ὑπερύψωσεν καὶ ἐχαρίσατο αὐτῷ ὄνομα τὸ ὑπὲρ πᾶν ὄνομα». 302 25, 8.1–2 μὴ πρόσπιπτε εἰς μάχην ταχέως, ἵνα μὴ μεταμεληθῇς ἐπ' ἐσχάτων ∆ιὰ τῆς μάχης τὴν κακίαν ᾐνίξατο. 303 25, 8.3 ἡνίκα δ' ἄν σε ὀνειδίσῃ ὁ φίλος, 25, 9 ἀναχώρει εἰς τὰ ὀπίσω, μὴ καταφρόνει Καὶ ὁ σωτὴρ ἐν τοῖς εὐαγγελίοις ὀνειδίζει ταῖς πόλεσιν, «ἐν αἷς αἱ πλεῖσται αὐτοῦ δυνάμεις γεγόνασιν ὅτι οὐ μετενόησαν, οὐαί σοι Χοραζίν, οὐαί σοι λέγων Βηθσαϊδά». 304 25, 10.1–2 χάρις καὶ φιλία ἐλευθεροῖ, ἃς τήρησον σεαυτῷ, ἵνα μὴ ἐπονείδιστος γένῃ Πυκνότερον ὁ Σολομὼν φίλου τε μέμνηται καὶ φιλίας. ∆ιὸ καλῶς ἔχει νῦν προσέχειν τῷ ὀνόματι, τί βούλεται αὐτῷ σημαίνειν ἡ φιλία· «χάρις γάρ, φησίν, καὶ φιλία ἐλευθεροῖ.» Καίτοι ὁ σωτὴρ ἐν τοῖς εὐαγγελίοις πρὸς τοὺς πεπιστευκότας αὐτῷ Ἰουδαίους φησίν· «ἐὰν ὑμεῖς μείνητε ἐν τῷ λόγῳ τῷ ἐμῷ, ἀληθῶς μαθηταί μού ἐστε καὶ ἡ ἀλήθεια ἐλευθερώσει ὑμᾶς.» Παῦλος δὲ πάλιν γράφει· «Χριστὸς ἡμᾶς ἠλευθέρωσεν ἐκ τῆς κατάρας τοῦ νόμου.» Εἰ οὖν ἡ φιλία ἐλευθεροῖ καὶ ἡ ἀλήθεια ἐλευθεροῖ καὶ ὁ σωτὴρ ἐλευθεροῖ, Χριστός ἐστιν ἡ ἀλήθεια καὶ ἡ φιλία. Ὅθεν καὶ πάντες οἱ ἔχοντες τὴν γνῶσιν τοῦ Χριστοῦ φίλοι ἀλλήλων εἰσίν. Οὕτω καὶ τοὺς μαθητὰς φίλους εἴρηκεν ὁ σωτὴρ καὶ Ἰωάννης φίλος ἦν τοῦ νυμφίου, Μωσῆς καὶ πάντες οἱ ἅγιοι. Καὶ ἐπὶ ταύτης μόνον τῆς φιλίας

The Varied Names of the Soul's States§23

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23impassive

To stand in judgment is not good. Just as cold water is unpleasing to a soul that thirsts, so is a good message from far off the earth, and so is the knowledge of God from the earth pleasant.

Just as if someone were to break open a spring and enjoy the outlet of water, so a just man falls disorderly before the thought of the thoughts of the ungodly; his falls are called such and such, his risings, his seat, his standing; and others his walking and some of his obstacles are named; and others hard and soft and fragrant and sweet and bitter and smooth and straight and crooked; and again some of his are called thorns and briars, others light and darkness and life and death, others diseases and healths; and others again are named falsehood and truth; and many other names the Scripture sets down according to the soul and the thoughts of it.

But what it sets down against it, as it is possible to say a few of many, these are they: mind, soul, heart, man, man, woman, slave, servant, father, son, spirit, eye, mouth, lip, tongue, larynx, belly, bosom, arm, finger, wood, nose, sheep, ram, shepherd; and there are more names of the soul, which it is not possible now to set down because the nature of the scholia does not permit prolixity. There, therefore, a just mind falls before the devil, receiving an unclean thought or a false dogma. And David says: 'Before him shall all those descending into the earth fall' (Ps 102:7); but this fall contains true knowledge and pure thoughts.

Just as a city with its walls cast down and without walls, so a man who does nothing by intention. 'Will' is spoken here for the inclination of the heart toward the better.

Just as a whip to a horse and a goad to a donkey, so a rod chastises the lawless. The rod is now a symbol of punishment.

He who sends a word through a foolish angel makes a dream of his own ways. It is not necessary to give the holy things to dogs, nor to cast pearls before swine (Mt 7:6). Having removed the journey of the legs and the lawlessness from the mouth of the foolish, remove the bad way and make a long distance of false knowledge from it. He who releases a stone from a sling is like one giving glory to a foolish person. Knowledge will not fit a fool and...

Greek · §23

οἱ τοῦ αὐτοῦ φίλοι καὶ ἀλλήλων εἰσὶ φίλοι. 305 25, 10α.3 ἀλλὰ φύλαξον τὰς ὁδούς σου εὐσυναλλάκτωσ Ὁ διδαχθεὶς περὶ τῶν ἀρετῶν καὶ κατ' αὐτὰς ἐνεργῶν τὰς ὁδοὺς αὐτοῦ φυλάσσει εὐσυναλλάκτως. 306 25, 11 μῆλον χρύσεον ἐν ὁρμίσκῳ σαρδίου, οὕτως εἰπεῖν λόγον ἐπὶ ἁρμόζουσιν αὐτῷ Ὥσπερ μῆλον χρύσεον ἁρμόζει σαρδίῳ, οὕτω γνῶσις θεοῦ ψυχῇ καθαρᾷ. 307 25, 12 εἰς ἐνώτιον χρυσοῦν σάρδιον πολυτελὲς δέδεται· λόγος σοφὸς εἰς εὐήκοον οὖσ Ἔμβαλε σάρδιον πολυτελὲς εἰς ἐνώτιον χρυσοῦν καὶ σοφίαν κυρίου εἰς νοῦν ἀπαθῆ. 308 25, 13.1–2 ὥσπερ ἔξοδος χιόνος ἐν ἀμήτῳ κατὰ καῦμα ὠφελεῖ, οὕτως ἄγγελος πιστὸς τοὺς ἀποστείλαντας αὐτόν Ὥσπερ χιὼν ψύχει καύσωνα, οὕτως γνῶσις ἁγίων διαλύει κόπον ψυχῆς. 309 25, 15 ἐν μακροθυμίᾳ εὐοδία βασιλεῦσιν· γλῶσσα δὲ μαλακὴ συντρίβει ὀστᾶ Νῦν τὴν θυμώδη ψυχὴν ὠνόμασεν μαλακήν, ἥτις συντρίβει τὰ ὀστᾶ τὰ πεφυκότα λέγειν· «κύριε, τίς ὅμοιός σοι;» 310 25, 17 σπάνιον εἴσαγε σὸν πόδα πρὸς τὸν σεαυτοῦ φίλον, μήποτε πλησθείς σου μισήσῃ σε Σπανίως δεῖ ἅπτεσθαι θεολογικῶν προβλημάτων καὶ μὴ πυκνῶς τοῦτο ποιεῖν, μήποτε εἴπωμέν τι τῶν οὐ λεγομένων ἐπὶ θεοῦ καὶ ὡς ἀσεβοῦντες τῆς πνευματικῆς ἐκπέσωμεν γνώσεως, τοῦ νοῦ δι' οἰκείαν ἀσθένειαν 25 συνεχῶς ἐνατενίζειν τῇ τοιαύτῃ θεωρίᾳ μὴ δυναμένου. 311 25, 19 ὀδοὺς κακοῦ καὶ ποὺς παρανόμου ὀλεῖται ἐν ἡμέρᾳ κακῇ Τουτέστιν ἡ κακία καὶ ἡ παρανομία ἀπολεῖται ἐν ἡμέρᾳ τῆς κρίσεως. 312 25, 20 ὥσπερ ὄξος ἕλκει ἀσύμφορον, οὕτω προσπεσὸν πάθος σώματι καρδίαν λυπεῖ Τὰ προσπίπτοντα τῇ καρδίᾳ πάθη αἱ κακίαι εἰσίν, ὧν κατὰ στέρησιν ὁ ἀπαθὴς ὀνομάζεται. 313 25, 20α ὥσπερ σὴς ἱματίῳ καὶ σκώληξ ξύλῳ, οὕτως λύπη ἀνδρὸς βλάπτει καρδίαν Λύπη ἐστὶ ψεκτὴ στέρησις φθαρτῆς ἡδονῆς· λύπη δέ ἐστιν ἐπαινετὴ στέρησις ἀρετῶν καὶ γνώσεως θεοῦ. 314 25, 21 ἐὰν πεινᾷ ὁ ἐχθρός σου, τρέφε αὐτόν, ἐὰν διψᾷ, πότιζε αὐτόν· 25, 22.1 τοῦτο γὰρ ποιῶν ἄνθρακας σωρεύσεις ἐπὶ τὴν κεφαλὴναὐτοῦ ∆ιὰ τῆς χρηστότητος καὶ εὐποιΐας καθαρίζων αὐτοῦ τὸ ἡγεμονικόν. 315 25, 23 ἄνεμος βορέας ἐξεγείρει νέφη· πρόσωπον δὲ ἀναιδὲς γλῶσσαν ἐρεθίζει Τὸν διάβολον εἶπεν πρόσωπον ἀναιδὲς ἐρεθίζοντα τὴν ψυχήν. Πανταχοῦ δὲ ὁ Σολομὼν γλῶσσαν τὸν νοῦν λέγει. Τοῦτο οὖν τὸ πρόσωπον αἰδεῖσθαι ἐν κρίσει οὐ καλόν. 316 25, 25 ὥσπερ ὕδωρ ψυχρὸν ψυχῇ διψώσῃ προσηνές, οὕτως ἀγγελία ἀγαθὴ ἐκ γῆς μακρόθεν Οὕτως γνῶσις θεοῦ ἐκ γῆς πραέων. 317 25, 26 ὥσπερ εἴ τις πηγὴν φράσσοι καὶ ὕδατος ἔξοδον λυμαίνοιτο, οὕτως ἄκοσμον δίκαιον πεπτωκέναι ἐνώπιον ἀσεβοῦσ Τῶν νοημάτων τοῦ νοῦ, τὰ μὲν πτώματα αὐτοῦ λέγεται, τὰ δὲ ἐγέρσεις, τὰ δὲ καθέδρα, τὰ δὲ στάσις· καὶ ἄλλα περίπατος καί τινα αὐτοῦ προσκόμματα ὀνομάζεται· καὶ ἄλλα σκληρὰ καὶ μαλακὰ καὶ εὐώδη καὶ γλυκέα καὶ πικρὰ καὶ λεῖα καὶ ὀρθὰ καὶ σκολιά· καὶ πάλιν τὰ μὲν αὐτοῦ καλεῖται ἄκανθαι καὶ τρίβολοι, τὰ δὲ φῶς καὶ σκότος καὶ ζωὴ καὶ θάνατος, τὰ δὲ νόσοι καὶ ὑγεῖαι· καὶ ἄλλα πάλιν ὀνομάζεται ψεῦδος καὶ ἀλήθεια· καὶ πολλὰ ἕτερα ὀνόματα τίθησιν ἡ γραφὴ κατά τε τῆς ψυχῆς καὶ τῶν νοημάτων αὐτῆς. Ἃ δὲ τίθησι κατ' αὐτῆς, ὡς ἔστιν ὀλίγα ἐκ πολλῶν εἰπεῖν, ἔστι ταῦτα· νοῦν, ψυχήν, καρδίαν, ἄνθρωπον, ἄνδρα, γυναῖκα, δοῦλον, οἰκέτην, πατέρα, υἱόν, πνεῦμα, ὀφθαλμόν, στόμα, χείλη, γλῶσσαν, λάρυγγα, κοιλίαν, κόλπον, βραχίονα, δάκτυλον, ξύλον, μυκτῆρα, πρόβατον, ἔριφον, ποιμένα· καὶ ἄλλα πλείονά ἐστιν ὀνόματα τῆς ψυχῆς, ἃ οὐ δυνατὸν νῦν παραθέσθαι διὰ τὸ εἶδος τῶν σχολίων πολυλογίαν μὴ ἐπιδεχόμενον. Ἐνταῦθα οὖν πίπτει δίκαιος νοῦς ἐνώπιον τοῦ σατανᾶ, λογισμὸν ἀκάθαρτον ἢ ψευδὲς δόγμα ὑποδεξάμενος. Καὶ ὁ ∆αυὶδ δέ φησιν· «ἐνώπιον αὐτοῦ προπεσοῦνται πάντες οἱ καταβαίνοντες εἰς γῆν»· ἀλλὰ τοῦτο τὸ πτῶμα περιέχει γνῶσιν ἀληθῆ καὶ λογισμοὺς καθαρούς. 318 25, 28 ὥσπερ πόλις τὰ τείχη καταβεβλημένη καὶ ἀτείχιστος, οὕτως ἀνὴρ ὃς οὐ μετὰ βουλῆς τι πράσσει Βουλὴν εἶπεν ἐνταῦθα τὴν ἐπὶ τὸ κρεῖττον ῥοπὴν τῆς καρδίας. 319 26, 3 ὥσπερ μάστιξ ἵππῳ καὶ κέντρον ὄνῳ, οὕτως ῥάβδος ἔθνει παρανόμῳ Ἡ ῥάβδος νῦν σύμβολόν ἐστι κολάσεως. 320 26, 6 ἐκ τῶν ἑαυτοῦ ὁδῶν ὄνειδος ποιεῖται ὁ ἀποστείλας δι' ἀγγέλου ἄφρονος λόγον Οὐ δεῖ τοῖς κυσὶ διδόναι τὰ ἅγια οὐδὲ βάλλειν τοὺς μαργαρίτας ἔμπροσθεν τῶν χοίρων. 321 26, 7 ἀφελοῦ πορείαν σκελῶν καὶ παρανομίαν ἐκ στόματος ἀφρόνων Περίελε ἄφρονος ὁδὸν κακὴν καὶ γνῶσιν ψευδῆ μακρὰν ποίησον ἀπ' αὐτοῦ. 322 26, 8 ὃς ἀποδεσμεύει λίθον ἐν σφενδόνῃ, ὅμοιός ἐστι τῷ διδόντι ἄφρονι δόξαν Οὐχ ἁρμόσει ἄφρονι γνῶσις καὶ

Virtue, Knowledge, and the Perils of the Soul§24

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24A stone is worthless in a golden setting.

Much is covered by the flesh of fools, for their ecstasy is crushed. If the ecstasy of fools, by which they were beside themselves for God (cf. Luke 16:15), is crushed, having become pure again, they approach God; for 'all flesh shall see the salvation of God.' One must note here that he named the thickened souls from the evil flesh of fools. So also the Lord says: 'My spirit shall not remain in these men because they are flesh' (cf. Romans 8:3).

Like a dog when it rushes upon its own vomit and becomes loathsome, so a fool, having turned back to his own sin by his own wickedness, is like a dog eating its own vomit after casting away his wickedness and turning again toward it.

Having hidden a sluggish hand in his lap, he will not be able to bring it to the mouth. If 'a tree of life grows from the fruits of righteousness' (cf. Rev 22:2), everyone hiding righteousness with unrighteousness will not eat from this tree.

Like one holding a dog's leash, so is the one presiding over another's judgment. Use this saying for those being voted for some unworthy ones in Jerusalem or by lot (cf. Prov 27:17).

Fire flourishes in many woods; but where there is no hot-tempered one, the fight rests. He said the hot-tempered, hot-tempered one.

Smooth lips cover a sad heart. A pure heart will not seize sadness; for he has driven away corrupt desires from it.

If the enemy entreats you with a loud voice, do not be persuaded by him. Our Satan sometimes entreats us, tickling us through unclean thoughts and throwing himself upon us with the smoothness of pleasure, and sometimes indeed raising a voice truly loud as if having been defeated, one whom one must not obey having the war against us.

For there are seven evils in his heart. These evils oppose the seven spirits.

A soul being in abundance plays with masters; but a soul in need, the bitter things seem sweet to it. A pure soul enjoys knowledge; but an unclean soul thinks false knowledge to be true knowledge.

Like a bird when it falls from its own nest, so a man is enslaved when he is made a stranger from his own places.

Virtue and knowledge are of the heart, from which being estranged a man falls into wickedness and ignorance and becomes a slave, since 'everyone practicing sin is a slave of sin' (John 8:34). The heart is delighted by perfumes, wines, and incenses; but the soul is shattered by accidents. The impassive Mind delights in diverse wisdom; but the empassioned mind will fall into ignorance.

Do not abandon your friend and your fellow-countryman; 'They have left me the spring of living water and have dug for themselves cisterns' (Jeremiah 2:13). Do not enter the house of your brother in misfortune; such was the one who entered the wedding feasts and did not have wedding clothes (Matthew 22:11). A near friend is better than a brother far from home. Better is the one joined to me through true knowledge than the one joined to me only through nature.

Take away his garment, for an insolent man passes by who plunders what belongs to others. This is that which is said in the Gospel: 'And from him who has not, even what he seems to have will be taken away' (Luke 16:34). This shows, in my opinion, the intellectual remnants of virtues and the knowledge of God being taken from men who have used them badly.

He who plants a fig tree will eat its fruits; but he who guards his Lord will be honored. Our Lord is the fig tree; for its fruit heals leprosy. If you dishonor the fool in the midst of a sitting, you will not escape his foolishness. Not dishonoring the fool will not turn him from his foolishness, but rather you are teaching him what kind of dishonor foolishness brings to a stranger.

Knowingly recognize the souls of your flock and understand your heart with your wise flocks; for they do not hand over strength and power to a man for an age, nor from generation to generation. Attend to yourself and direct your virtues, for men do not always prevail in them, nor do they transition healthily from virtue to virtue or from knowledge to knowledge, as the human condition does not easily receive this. Since he speaks of generations regarding virtues and knowledges, according to which the saints are born, he shows through what he writes: 'A generation of wisdom, the fear of the Lord, and wealth and glory and life' (Psalm 112:3). And one should use...

Greek · §24

λίθος ἄτιμος ἐν σφενδόνῃ χρυσῇ. 323 26, 10 πολλὰ χειμάζεται πᾶσα σὰρξ ἀφρόνων· συντρίβεται γὰρ ἡ ἔκστασις αὐτῶν Ἐὰν συντριβῇ ἡ ἔκστασις τῶν ἀφρόνων, καθ' ἣν ἐξέστησαν θεοῦ, πάλιν καθαροὶ γενόμενοι προσέρχονται θεῷ· «πᾶσα γὰρ σὰρξ ὄψεται τὸ σωτήριον τοῦ θεοῦ.» Προσεκτέον δὲ ἐνταῦθα ὅτι τὰς παχυνθείσας ψυχὰς ἀπὸ τῆς κακίας σάρκας ἀφρόνων ὠνόμασεν. Οὕτω δὲ καὶ ὁ κύριός φησιν· «οὐ μὴ καταμείνῃ τὸ πνεῦμά μου ἐν τοῖς ἀνθρώποις τούτοις διὰ τὸ εἶναι αὐτοὺς σάρκας.» 324 26, 11 ὥσπερ κύων ὅταν ἐπέλθῃ ἐπὶ τὸν ἑαυτοῦ ἔμετον καὶ μισητὸς γένηται, 26 οὕτως ἄφρων τῇ ἑαυτοῦ κακίᾳ ἀναστρέψας ἐπὶ τὴν ἑαυτοῦ ἁμαρτίαν Ὁ ἀποβαλὼν κακίαν αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐπιστρέψας πάλιν πρὸς αὐτήν, ὅμοιός ἐστι κυνὶ ἐσθίοντι τὸν ἑαυτοῦ ἔμετον. 325 26, 15 κρύψας ὀκνηρὸς τὴν χεῖρα ἐν τῷ κόλπῳ αὐτοῦ οὐ δυνήσεται ἐπενεγκεῖν εἰς τὸ στόμα Εἰ «ἀπὸ καρπῶν δικαιοσύνης φύεται δένδρον ζωῆς», πᾶς ὁ κρύπτων τὴν δικαιοσύνην τῇ ἀδικίᾳ οὐ βρώσεται ἐκ τούτου τοῦ δένδρου. 26, 17 ὥσπερ ὁ κρατῶν κέρκου κυνός, οὕτως ὁ προεστὼς ἀλλοτρίας κρίσεωσ Χρηστέον τούτῳ τῷ ῥητῷ πρὸς τοὺς ψηφιζομένους τινὰς τῶν ἀναξίων ἐν ἱερωσύνῃ ἢ ἐν κλήρῳ. 327 26, 20 ἐν πολλοῖς ξύλοις θάλλει πῦρ· ὅπου δὲ οὐκ ἔστι δίθυμος, ἡσυχάζει μάχη Τὸν θυμώδη δίθυμον εἶπεν. 328 26, 23.2 χείλη λεῖα καρδίαν καλύπτει λυπηράν Καρδίαν καθαρὰν οὐ καταλήψεται λύπη· ἐπιθυμίας γὰρ φθαρτὰς ἀπώσατο ἀπ' αὐτῆς. 329 26, 25.1 ἐάν σου δέηται ὁ ἐχθρὸς μεγάλῃ τῇ φωνῇ, μὴ πεισθῇς αὐτῷ ∆έεται ἡμῶν ὁ σατανᾶς ποτε μὲν διὰ τῶν ἀκαθάρτων λογισμῶν γαργαλίζων ἡμᾶς καὶ τῷ λείῳ τῆς ἡδονῆς ἐπι-σπώμενος, ποτὲ δὲ καὶ φωνὴν ὄντως ἔναρθρον ὡς ἡττηθεὶς προβαλλόμενος, ᾧ οὐ δεῖ πείθεσθαι ἄσπονδον ἔχοντι τὸν πόλεμον τὸν πρὸς ἡμᾶς. 330 26, 25.2 ἑπτὰ γάρ εἰσι πονηρίαι ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ αὐτοῦ Τοῖς ἑπτὰ πνεύμασιν ἀντίκεινται αὗται αἱ πονηρίαι. 331 27, 7 ψυχὴ ἐν πλησμονῇ οὖσα κηρίοις ἐμπαίζει· ψυχῇ δὲ ἐνδεεῖ καὶ τὰ πικρὰ γλυκεῖα φαίνεται Ψυχὴ καθαρὰ κατατρυφᾷ γνώσεως· ψυχὴ δὲ ἀκάθαρτος καὶ τὴν ψευδώνυμον γνῶσιν ἀληθῆ γνῶσιν νομίζει. 332 27, 8 ὥσπερ ὄρνεον ὅταν καταπετασθῇ ἐκ τῆς ἰδίας νοσσιᾶς, οὕτως ἄνθρωπος δουλοῦται, ὅταν ἀποξενωθῇ ἐκ τῶν ἰδίων τόπων Τόπος τῆς καρδίας ἐστὶν ἀρετὴ καὶ γνῶσις, ἀφ' ὧν ἀποξενωθεὶς ἄνθρωπος ἐμπίπτει εἰς κακίαν καὶ ἀγνωσίαν καὶ γίνεται δοῦλος, ἐπειδὴ «πᾶς ὁ ποιῶν τὴν ἁμαρτίαν δοῦλός ἐστι τῆς ἁμαρτίας». 333 27, 9 μύροις καὶ οἴνοις καὶ θυμιάμασι τέρπεται καρδία· καταρρήγνυται δὲ ὑπὸ συμπτωμάτων ψυχή Νοῦς ἀπαθὴς πολυποικίλῳ τέρπεται σοφίᾳ· νοῦς δὲ ἐμπαθὴς ἐν ἀγνωσίᾳ πεσεῖται. 334 27, 10.1 φίλον σὸν καὶ φίλον πατρῷον μὴ ἐγκαταλίπῃσ «Ἐμὲ ἐγκατέλιπον πηγὴν ὕδατος ζῶντος καὶ ὤρυξαν ἑαυτοῖς λάκκους.» 335 27, 10.2 εἰς δὲ τὸν οἶκον τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ σου μὴ εἰσέλθῃς ἀτυχῶν Τοιοῦτος ἦν ὁ εἰσελθὼν εἰς τοὺς γάμους καὶ μὴ ἔχων ἔνδυμα γάμου. 336 27, 10.3 κρεῖσσον φίλος ἐγγὺς ἢ ἀδελφὸς μακρὰν οἴκων Κρεῖσσον ὁ συναπτόμενός μοι διὰ τῆς ἀληθοῦς γνώσεως ὑπὲρ τὸν συναπτόμενόν μοι μόνον διὰ τῆς φύσεως. 337 27, 13 ἀφελοῦ τὸ ἱμάτιον αὐτοῦ, παρῆλθεν γὰρ ὑβριστὴς ὅστις τὰ ἀλλότρια λυμαίνεται Τοῦτό ἐστιν τὸ ἐν τῷ εὐαγγελίῳ λεγόμενον τὸ «καὶ ἀπὸ τοῦ μὴ ἔχοντος καὶ ὃ δοκεῖ ἔχειν ἀρθήσεται ἀπ' αὐτοῦ». ∆ηλοῖ δὲ τοῦτο, ὡς οἶμαι, τὰ κατὰ διάνοιαν λείψανα τῶν ἀρετῶν καὶ τῆς γνώσεως τοῦ θεοῦ λαμβανόμενα ἀπὸ τῶν κακῶς αὐτοῖς χρησαμένων ἀνθρώπων. 338 27, 18 ὃς φυτεύει συκῆν φάγεται τοὺς καρποὺς αὐτῆς· ὃς δὲ φυλάσσει τὸν ἑαυτοῦ κύριον τιμηθήσεται Ὁ κύριος ἡμῶν ἐστιν ἡ συκῆ· ὁ γὰρ καρπὸς αὐτῆς λέπραν θεραπεύει. 339 27, 22 ἐὰν μαστιγοῖς τὸν ἄφρονα ἐν μέσῳ συνεδρίῳ ἀτιμάζων, οὐ μὴ περιέλῃς τὴν ἀφροσύνην αὐτοῦ Οὐκ ἀτιμάζων τὸν ἄφρονα ἀποστήσεις αὐτὸν τῆς ἀφροσύνης, ἀλλὰ διδάσκων αὐτὸν ὁποίας ἀτιμίας ἡ ἀφροσύνη γίνεται πρόξενος. 340 27, 23 γνωστῶς ἐπιγνώσῃ ψυχὰς ποιμνίου σου καὶ ἐπιστήσεις καρδίαν σου σαῖς ἀγέλαις· 27, 24 ὅτι οὐ τὸν αἰῶνα ἀνδρὶ κράτος καὶ ἰσχὺς οὐδὲ παραδίδωσιν ἐκ γενεᾶς εἰς γενεάν Πρόσεχε σεαυτῷ καὶ τὰς ἀρετάς σου κατεύθυνε, ὅτι οὐκ ἀεὶ ἐν αὐταῖς ἰσχύουσιν ἐπίσης οἱ ἄνθρωποι οὐδὲ ἀπὸ ἀρετῆς ἐπ' ἀρετὴν ἢ ἀπὸ γνώσεως ἐπὶ γνῶσιν ὑγιῶς μεταβαίνουσιν, τῆς ἀνθρωπίνης καταστάσεως τοῦτο ῥᾳδίως μὴ δεχομένης. Ὅτι δὲ γενεὰς λέγει τὰς ἀρετὰς καὶ τὰς γνώσεις, καθ' ἃς γεννῶνται οἱ ἅγιοι, δείκνυσι δι' ὧν γράφει· «γενεὰ σοφίας φόβος κυρίου καὶ πλοῦτος καὶ δόξα καὶ ζωή.» Χρηστέον δὲ 27

Law, Apatheia, and the Soul§25

25By this proverb, it applies also to the shepherds of the churches, whom it is necessary to attend not to faces, but to hearts, and to shepherd the sheep intellectually.

Regarding the one who cares for the green things in the field and shears wool and gathers a pasture in the mountainous field, the mind says: the green things are the virtues that exist within it in potential, of which the one caring shears wool, being a symbol of the knowledge of God, which he again calls a mountainous pasture; for a mountainous pasture represents the knowledge of holy powers that suits the soul's unreasoned state. It is a custom in Scripture to call holy mountains such. Thus also David lifts up his soul, asking, 'From where will my help come?' (Psalm 121:1); and again: 'The mountains leap like rams, and the hills like lambs of the flock' (Psalm 114:4) concerning the salvation of Israel. For if angels rejoice over one repenting, how much more over such a multitude traveling from wickedness to virtue.

Therefore, only the knowledge of the holy angels nourishes the virtues in us, from which the soul clothes itself with the bowels of compassion, kindness, patience, humility, faith, self-control, love, and the good things generated from these. That David speaks of rational souls regarding fields, from this one can learn: 'And your fields, he says, shall be filled with fullness' (Proverbs 12:14); and again shortly after: 'And the valleys shall abound with grain; for they shall cry out and shall sing' (Psalm 65:12); for hymn and cry are by nature suited to join with the rational nature.

Regarding the man who is brave in impieties, slandering the poor like a useless and empty cloud: if he is brave in impieties, he is brave also in virtues; and if the brave man in impieties slanders the poor, the brave man in virtues exhorts the poor; surely everyone who exhorts the poor is brave in piety. Thus those abandoning the law praise impiety; but those loving the law surround themselves with a wall. Everyone who loves the law makes the...

Law: everyone practicing the law acquires apatheia and the knowledge of God. If 'those loving the law surround themselves with a wall', now the wall signifies apatheia and the knowledge of God, which alone is fit to guard the rational nature.

344 28, 7 He who guards the law is a prudent son; but he who pastures intemperance dishonors his father the Shepherd, calling the mind the shepherd, and the passions within it sheep, which he nourishes within himself, 'through the transgression of the law he dishonors God'. For intemperance of the soul is passionate thoughts being carried out through the body; but intemperance of the mind is the assumption of false dogmas and theories.

345 28, 8 He who increases his wealth through usury and excess, bringing the poor to him whom he pities—if the wealth of the ungodly is wickedness, and wise men will lose him, it is evident that the righteous and wise are losing wickedness, by means of spiritual teaching leading the impure back to virtue.

346 28, 9 He who turns his ear from not hearing the law, and he himself has detested his prayer; the law does not detest anyone's prayer, but God who gave the law. And Paul says: 'the Scripture foretelling' (Hebrews 1:1) the future, instead of 'he who gave the Scripture'.

347 28, 13 He who covers his ungodliness will not prosper; but he who explains reproofs will be loved, 'I said: I will confess my iniquity to the Lord, and you have forgiven the ungodliness of my heart' (Psalm 32:9).

348 28, 15 A hungry lion and a thirsty wolf who tyrannizes, being poor, of a needy nation; if 'blessed' (Matthew 5:6) are 'those who hunger and thirst for righteousness', lions and wolves are those who hunger and thirst for injustice.

349 28, 16 A needy king is a great slanderer; but he who hates injustice will live a long time. The approaches of the evil king are wickednesses and false dogmas; for these approach him, those who are ruled by him.

Greek · §25

ταύτῃ τῇ παροιμίᾳ καὶ πρὸς τοὺς ποιμένας τῶν ἐκκλησιῶν, οὓς δεῖ μὴ προσώποις, ἀλλὰ καρδίαις προσέχειν καὶ νοητῶς ποιμαίνειν τὰ πρόβατα. 341 27, 25 ἐπιμελοῦ τῶν ἐν τῷ πεδίῳ χλωρῶν καὶ κερεῖς πόαν καὶ συνάγαγε χόρτον ὀρεινόν Πεδίον λέγει τὸν νοῦν, χλωρὰ δὲ τὰς ἐν αὐτῷ κατὰ δύναμιν ἐνυπαρχούσας ἀρετάς, ὧν ὁ ἐπιμελούμενος κερεῖ πόαν, σύμβολον οὖσαν τῆς γνώσεως τοῦ θεοῦ, ἣν καὶ χόρτον πάλιν ὀρεινὸν ὀνομάζει· χόρτος γάρ ἐστιν ὀρεινὸς γνῶσις ἁγίων δυνάμεων ἁρμόζουσα τῇ ἀλογωτέρᾳ τῶν ψυχῶν καταστάσει. Ἔθος δὲ τῇ γραφῇ τοὺς ἁγίους ὄρη καλεῖν. Οὕτω καὶ ὁ ∆αυὶδ αἴρει τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ «εἰς τὰ ὄρη πόθεν ἥξει ἡ βοήθεια» αὐτοῦ· καὶ πάλιν· «ὄρη σκιρτῶσιν ὡς κριοὶ καὶ βουνοὶ ὡς ἀρνία προβάτων» ἐπὶ τῇ σωτηρίᾳ τοῦ Ἰσραήλ. Εἰ γὰρ ἐπὶ ἑνὶ μετανοοῦντι χαίρουσιν ἄγγελοι, πόσῳ μᾶλλον ἐπὶ πλήθει τοσούτῳ ὁδεύοντι ἀπὸ κακίας εἰς ἀρετήν. ∆ιὸ καὶ μόνη ἡ γνῶσις τῶν ἁγίων ἀγγέλων τρέφει τὰς ἐν ἡμῖν ἀρετάς, ἀφ' ὧν ἐνδύεται ψυχὴ σπλάγχνα οἰκτιρμοῦ, χρηστότητα, μακροθυμίαν, ταπεινοφροσύνην, πίστιν, ἐγκράτειαν, ἀγάπην καὶ τὰ ἐκ ταύτης γεννώμενα ἀγαθά. Ὅτι δὲ πεδία καὶ ὁ ∆αυὶδ λέγει τὰς λογικὰς ψυχάς, ἐντεῦθεν ἔστι μαθεῖν· «καὶ τὰ πεδία σου γάρ, φησίν, πλησθήσονται πιότητος»· καὶ πάλιν μετ' ὀλίγα· «καὶ αἱ κοιλάδες πληθυνοῦσι σῖτον· κεκράξονται καὶ γὰρ ὑμνήσου-σιν»· ὕμνος δὲ καὶ κραυγὴ μόνῃ πέφυκεν ἐπισυμβαίνειν τῇ φύσει τῇ λογικῇ. 342 28, 3 ἀνδρεῖος ἐν ἀσεβείαις συκοφαντεῖ πτωχούς, ὥσπερ ὑετὸς λάβρος καὶ ἀνωφελήσ Εἰ ἔστιν ἀνδρεῖος ἐν ἀσεβείαις, ἔστιν ἀνδρεῖος καὶ ἐν ἀρεταῖς· καὶ εἰ ὁ ἀνδρεῖος ἐν ἀσεβείαις συκοφαντεῖ πτωχούς, ὁ ἀνδρεῖος ἐν ἀρεταῖς παρακαλεῖ πτωχούς· οὐκοῦν πᾶς ὁ παρακαλῶν πτωχοὺς ἀνδρεῖός ἐστιν ἐν εὐσε-βείαις. 28, 4 οὕτως οἱ ἐγκαταλείποντες τὸν νόμον ἐγκωμιάζουσιν ἀσέβειαν· οἱ δὲ ἀγαπῶντες τὸν νόμον περιβάλλουσιν ἑαυτοῖς τεῖχοσ Πᾶς ὁ ἀγαπῶν τὸν νόμον ποιεῖ τὸν νόμον· πᾶς δὲ ὁ ποιῶν τὸν νόμον ἀπάθειαν κτᾶται καὶ γνῶσιν θεοῦ. Εἰ δὲ «οἱ ἀγαπῶντες τὸν νόμον περιβάλλουσιν ἑαυτοῖς τεῖχος», νῦν τὸ τεῖχος τὴν ἀπάθειαν σημαίνει καὶ τὴν γνῶσιν τὴν τοῦ θεοῦ, ἅπερ μόνα πέφυκε φυλάσσειν τὴν φύσιν τὴν λογικήν. 344 28, 7 φυλάσσει νόμον υἱὸς συνετός· ὃς δὲ ποιμαίνει ἀσωτίαν ἀτιμάζει πατέρα αὐτοῦ Ποιμένα λέγει τὸν νοῦν, πρόβατα δὲ τὰ ἐν αὐτῷ ἐμπαθῆ νοήματα, ἅπερ ἐκτρέφων ἐν ἑαυτῷ «διὰ τῆς παρα-βάσεως τοῦ νόμου τὸν θεὸν ἀτιμάζει». Ἀσωτία γὰρ ψυχῆς ἐστι λογισμοὶ ἐμπαθεῖς διὰ τοῦ σώματος ἐκτελού-μενοι· ἀσωτία δὲ νοῦ ἐστι ψευδῶν δογμάτων καὶ θεωρημάτων ὑπόληψις. 345 28, 8 ὁ πληθύνων τὸν πλοῦτον αὐτοῦ μετὰ τόκων καὶ πλεονασμῶν τῷ ἐλεῶντι πτωχοὺς συνάγει αὐτόν Εἰ πλοῦτος ἀσεβῶν κακία, ἄνδρες δὲ σοφοὶ ἀπο-λέσουσιν αὐτόν, δηλονότι κακίαν ἀπολλύουσιν οἱ δίκαιοι καὶ σοφοί, διὰ τῆς πνευματικῆς διδασκαλίας τοὺς ἀκαθάρτους πρὸς τὴν ἀρετὴν ἐπανάγοντες. 346 28, 9 ὁ ἐκκλίνων τὸ οὖς αὐτοῦ τοῦ μὴ εἰσακοῦσαι νόμου καὶ αὐτὸς τὴν προσευχὴν αὐτοῦ ἐβδέλυκται Οὐχ ὁ νόμος βδελύσσεταί τινος τὴν προσευχήν, ἀλλ' ὁ δεδωκὼς τὸν νόμον θεός. Καὶ ὁ Παῦλός φησιν· «προϊδοῦσα δὲ ἡ γραφὴ» τὸ μέλλον, ἀντὶ τοῦ ὁ τὴν γραφὴν δεδωκώς. 347 28, 13 ὁ ἐπικαλύπτων ἀσέβειαν ἑαυτοῦ οὐκ εὐοδωθήσεται· ὁ δὲ ἐξηγούμενος ἐλέγχους ἀγαπηθήσεται «Εἶπα· ἐξαγορεύσω κατ' ἐμοῦ τὴν ἀνομίαν μου τῷ κυρίῳ καὶ σὺ ἀφῆκας τὴν ἀσέβειαν τῆς καρδίας μου.» 348 28, 15 λέων πεινῶν καὶ λύκος διψῶν ὃς τυραννεῖ πτωχὸς ὢν ἔθνους πενιχροῦ Εἰ «μακάριοί» εἰσιν «οἱ πεινῶντες καὶ διψῶντες τὴν δικαιοσύνην», λέοντες καὶ λύκοι εἰσὶν οἱ διψῶντες καὶ πεινῶντες τὴν ἀδικίαν. 349 28, 16 βασιλεὺς ἐνδεὴς προσόδων μέγας συκοφάντης· ὁ δὲ μισῶν ἀδικίαν μακρὸν χρόνον ζήσεται Αἱ πρόσοδοι τοῦ πονηροῦ βασιλέως εἰσὶν αἱ κακίαι καὶ τὰ ψευδῆ δόγματα· ταῦτα γὰρ αὐτῷ προσοδεύουσιν οἱ βασιλευόμενοι ὑπ' αὐτοῦ. 350 28, 17

Exegesis of Proverbs 29§26

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26A man who guarantees a murderer will be a fugitive and will not be in safety. He who guarantees Satan guarantees injustice, promising to pay him the fruits of injustice. Concerning this, the Gospel also says that one defiled through murder and strife is put into prison.

Bring up a son and he will love you and give wealth to your soul (Proverbs 28:17); he will not obey a lawless nation. A lawless nation is the order of demons, which the brought-up son does not obey.

He who works his own land will be filled with bread; but he who pursues leisure will be filled with want (Proverbs 28:19). He who purifies himself will be filled with knowledge; but the unclean will be filled with ignorance.

He who is not ashamed before the faces of the righteous is not good; such a man will be given a crust of bread instead of a man (Proverbs 28:21). If the virtues are the faces of the righteous, he is not good who is not ashamed of the virtues. And if the vices are the faces of the sinners, he is good who is not ashamed of the vices.

A wealthy man hastens to be rich, and does not know that mercy will rule him (Proverbs 28:22). Those who are now merciful will, in the age to come, be shown mercy by God and, having become angels, will rule over the ungodly. Such a status was also promised to his disciples, that the Lord would give them to sit on twelve thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel (Matthew 19:28). And a throne is that in which the mind sits, a spiritual knowledge gathering together those who have wandered from godliness. And to judge here means to teach, as also 'open your mouth with the word of God and judge all healthily,' instead of teaching. It is also to be understood that the merciful one, having conquered the ruler, himself will not become a ruler, but will rather make the ruler merciful.

The righteous stand in the places of the ungodly; and in their destruction the righteous will be multiplied (Proverbs 28:28). If the ungodly abandon the...

They being impious, they shall become righteous; for the destruction now signifies the removal of impiety. Thus also Matthew, having lost the tax collector, the Lord granted righteousness to him (Matt 9:13).

A man rebuking a stubborn man is better (Prov 29:1); for when he is burning, there will be no healing. He did not say that when the flame has ceased there is no healing, but that while he is burning there will be no healing, as one having wood, grass, or reed still present, even if health happens to come to those being burned after the ember.

When a righteous man is praised, peoples will rejoice; but when impious rulers rule, men groan (Prov 29:2). All those who are under the authorities and the powers and the cosmic rulers of this darkness, these certainly also groan.

A man loving wisdom, his father rejoices; but he who pastures prostitutes will lose wealth (Prov 29:3). And he who nurtures wickedness will lose knowledge. Alternatively: A good mind is a shepherd having possessed passionless thoughts, and an evil mind is a shepherd having possessed passionate thoughts. And if this is so, is not a passionate thought a goat, and is not a passionless thought a sheep? Therefore also the Lord sets the goats on the left and the sheep on the right; and he says 'goats and sheep' regarding those possessing goats and sheep, that is, those having passionate and passionless thoughts. In the same way, regarding those having the weeds, he commanded 'weeds', and regarding those having the grain, 'grain', naming them from the most inferior and most excellent state. Such is also what is said by Paul, 'love does not wander' (1 Cor 13:7), instead of 'he who has love'.

A righteous king lifts up a land; but an unlawful man overthrows it (Prov 29:4). Christ lifts up the rational nature; but the antichrist overthrows it.

A righteous man knows how to judge the poor; but the impious will not understand (Prov 29:7).

Greek · §26

28 ἄνδρα τὸν ἐν αἰτίᾳ φόνου ὁ ἐγγυώμενος φυγὰς ἔσται καὶ οὐκ ἐν ἀσφαλείᾳ Ὁ ἐγγυώμενος τὸν σατανᾶν ἐγγυᾶται τὴν ἀδικίαν, ὑπισχνούμενος αὐτῷ τοὺς τῆς ἀδικίας ἀποδώσειν καρπούς. Περὶ τούτου δὲ καὶ τὸ εὐαγγέλιον λέγει ὡς διὰ φόνον καὶ στάσιν βεβλημένου εἰς φυλακήν. 351 28, 17α παίδευε υἱὸν καὶ ἀγαπήσει σε καὶ δώσει κόσμον τῇ σῇ ψυχῇ· οὐ μὴ ὑπακούσῃ ἔθνει παρανόμῳ Ἔθνος παράνομον τὸ τάγμα τῶν δαιμόνων ἐστίν, ᾧ οὐχ ὑπακούει ὁ παιδευθεὶς υἱός. 352 28, 19 ὁ ἐργαζόμενος τὴν ἑαυτοῦ γῆν πλησθήσεται ἄρτων· ὁ δὲ διώκων σχολὴν πλησθήσεται πενίασ Ὁ καθαίρων ἑαυτὸν πλησθήσεται γνώσεως· ὁ δὲ ἀκάθαρτος πλησθήσεται ἀγνωσίας. 353 28, 21 ὃς οὐκ αἰσχύνεται πρόσωπα δικαίων οὐκ ἀγαθός· ὁ τοιοῦτος ψωμοῦ ἄρτου ἀποδώσεται ἄνδρα Εἰ πρόσωπα τῶν δικαίων εἰσὶν αἱ ἀρεταί, οὐκ ἀγαθὸς ὁ μὴ τὰς ἀρετὰς αἰσχυνόμενος. Καὶ εἰ πρόσωπα τῶν ἁμαρτωλῶν εἰσιν αἱ κακίαι, ἀγαθὸς ὁ τὰς κακίας μὴ αἰσχυνόμενος. 354 28, 22 σπεύδει πλουτεῖν ἀνὴρ βάσκανος καὶ οὐκ οἶδεν ὅτι ἐλεήμων κρατήσει αὐτοῦ Οἱ νῦν ἐλεήμονες ἐν τῷ αἰῶνι τῷ μέλλοντι ἐλεηθέντες ὑπὸ θεοῦ καὶ γενόμενοι ἄγγελοι ἄρξουσι τῶν ἀσεβῶν. Τοιοῦτον δὲ ἀξίωμα καὶ τοῖς μαθηταῖς αὐτοῦ ὑπέσχετο δώσειν ὁ κύριος τοῦ καθίσαι αὐτοὺς ἐπὶ δώδεκα θρόνων κρίνοντας τὰς δώδεκα φυλὰς τοῦ Ἰσραήλ· θρόνος δέ ἐστιν, ἐν ᾧ νοῦς καθέζεται, γνῶσις πνευματικὴ τοὺς πλανηθέντας ἀπὸ τῆς θεοσεβείας ἐπισυνάγουσα. Τὸ δὲ κρίνειν ἐνταῦθα τὸ διδάσκειν σημαίνει ὡς καὶ τὸ «ἄνοιγε σὸν στόμα λόγῳ θεοῦ καὶ κρῖνε πάντας ὑγιῶς», ἀντὶ τοῦ δίδασκε. Ἅμα δὲ καὶ τοῦτο ἰστέον ὅτι ὁ ἐλεήμων κρατήσας τοῦ βασκάνου, αὐτὸς μὲν οὐ γενήσεται βάσκανος, ἐλεήμονα δὲ ποιήσει μᾶλλον τὸν βάσκανον. 355 28, 28 ἐν τόποις ἀσεβῶν στένουσι δίκαιοι· ἐν δὲ τῇ ἐκείνων ἀπωλείᾳ πληθυνθήσονται δίκαιοι Ἐὰν ἀποθῶνται οἱ ἀσεβεῖς τὸ εἶναι ἀσεβεῖς, γενήσονται δίκαιοι· ἡ γὰρ ἀπώλεια νῦν τὴν ἀναίρεσιν τῆς ἀσεβείας σημαίνει. Οὕτω καὶ Ματθαῖον τὸν τελώνην ἀπολέσας ὁ κύριος δικαιοσύνην αὐτῷ ἐχαρίσατο. 356 29, 1 κρείσσων ἀνὴρ ἐλέγχων ἀνδρὸς σκληροτραχήλου· ἐξαπίνης γὰρ φλεγομένου αὐτοῦ οὐκ ἔσται ἴασισ Οὐκ εἶπεν ὅτι παυσαμένης τῆς φλογὸς οὐκ ἔστιν ἴασις, ἀλλὰ φλεγομένου αὐτοῦ οὐκ ἔσται ἴασις, ὡς ἔχοντος ἔτι δηλονότι ξύλα, χόρτον, καλάμην, εἴπερ καὶ τοῖς καιομένοις μετὰ τὸν καυτῆρα πέφυκεν ἡ ὑγεία προσγίνεσθαι. 357 29, 2 ἐγκωμιαζομένου δὲ δικαίου εὐφρανθήσονται λαοί· ἀρχόντων δὲ ἀσεβῶν στένουσιν ἄνδρεσ Ὅσοι εἰσὶν ὑπὸ τὰς ἀρχὰς καὶ τὰς ἐξουσίας καὶ τοὺς κοσμοκράτορας τοῦ σκότους τούτου, οὗτοι πάντως καὶ στένουσιν. 358α 29, 3 ἀνδρὸς φιλοῦντος σοφίαν εὐφραίνεται ὁ πατὴρ αὐτοῦ· ὃς δὲ ποιμαίνει πόρνας ἀπολεῖ πλοῦτον Ὁ δὲ ἐκτρέφων κακίας ἀπολεῖ γνῶσιν. Ἄλλως. Ποιμήν ἐστιν ἀγαθὸς νοῦς ἀπαθεῖς λογισμοὺς κεκτημένος καὶ ποιμήν ἐστι πονηρὸς νοῦς ἐμπαθεῖς λογισμοὺς κεκτημένος. Εἰ δὲ τοῦτο, οὐκοῦν ἔριφός ἐστιν λογισμὸς ἐμπαθὴς καὶ πρόβατόν ἐστιν λογισμὸς ἀπαθής. ∆ιὸ καὶ τοὺς ἐρίφους ὁ κύριος ἵστησιν ἐξ ἀριστερῶν, τὰ δὲ πρόβατα ἐκ δεξιῶν· ἐρίφους δὲ καὶ πρόβατα λέγει τοὺς κεκτημένους ἐρίφους καὶ πρόβατα, τουτέστιν τοὺς ἔχοντας λογισμοὺς ἐμπαθεῖς καὶ ἀπαθεῖς. Οὕτω καὶ τοὺς ἔχοντας τὰ ζιζάνια, ζιζάνια προσηγόρευσε καὶ τοὺς τὸν σῖτον ἔχοντας σῖτον, ἀπὸ τῆς χειρίστης καὶ ἀρίστης ἕξεως ὀνομάσας αὐτούς. Τοιοῦτόν ἐστι καὶ τὸ παρὰ τῷ Παύλῳ λεγόμενον τὸ «ἡ ἀγάπη οὐ περπερεύεται», ἀντὶ τοῦ ὁ ἔχων τὴν ἀγάπην. 359 29, 4 βασιλεὺς δίκαιος ἀνίστησιν χώραν· ἀνὴρ δὲ παράνομος κατασκάπτει Ὁ μὲν Χριστὸς ἀνίστησι τὴν φύσιν τὴν λογικήν· ὁ δὲ ἀντίχριστος κατασκάπτει. 360 29, 7 ἐπίσταται δίκαιος κρίνειν πενιχροῖς· ὁ δὲ ἀσεβὴς οὐ συνήσει

The Law, Confession, and Courage§27

27A discerning mind does not exist even for a poor man. Truly, one without discernment is poor.

A wise man judges nations; but a foolish man, being enraged, is laughed at and does not fall. 'And at him, says David, they shall laugh and say: Behold a man who did not set God as his helper' (Ps 71:10).

Men sharing in blood will seek the holy; but the upright will seek his soul. He who seeks the soul of the righteous is the one desiring to understand things as they have been thought.

A fool pours out his whole passion; but a wise man stores up his passion in measure. This one stores up his passion in measure, that is, he who is enraged at things concerning the righteous, or he who consumes his passion in measure through long-suffering. And to the simpler ones, one should speak the former, but to the serious ones, the latter.

An interpreter shall not exist for a nation that is lawless; but he who keeps the law is blessed. To those who have kept the law, an interpreter shall exist; but to those who have acted lawlessly, an interpreter shall not exist, but a punisher shall exist; if not by word, then by rod; a rod is given to a lawless nation.

A harsh servant will not be instructed by words; for even if he understands, he will not obey. Because no one is harsh by nature, he demonstrates 'for even if he understands, he will not obey'; for the one who is harsh by nature could never understand anything right. I say this because of Pharaoh, having been hardened against Israel, being instructed not by words, but by scourging.

He who squanders from childhood will be a servant; but at the last he will grieve for himself. If squandering makes one sin, 'for everyone who commits sin is a slave of sin' (Rom 6:16), then everyone who squanders is a slave of sin.

Pride humbles a man; but the humble-minded, the Lord exalts with glory. Now the evil pride of the soul...

He calls it logical. He who divides the truth is hated by his own soul. 'The thief,' he says, 'does not come except in order to steal and slaughter and destroy' (John 10:10).

If, however, having an oath set forth, they hear it and do not disclose the sin, they will be turned aside by fear and shame of men. The Oath spoke the law; for just as the oath places God in the soul, so also the law introduces God into the soul; and in whatever way perjury again annuls God from the soul, so also lawlessness casts God out from it. If, therefore, he says, having heard the law set forth, they do not confess their sins, 'they will be turned aside by fear and shame of men.' Thus also David says: 'I swore and I stood to keep your judgments of righteousness' (Psalm 119:160). And again Solomon says: 'He who covers his impiety will not prosper; but he who explains and reproves will be loved' (Proverbs 28:13). And David: 'I said, he says, I will confess to the Lord my iniquity, and you forgave the impiety of my heart' (Psalm 32:5); and 'speak first of your iniquities.'

Many treat the faces of leaders; but from the Lord, justice happens to the man. In acting rightly, we treat the angels; for they are our leaders having taken us from the beginning, 'when the Most High divided the nations' (Deut 32:8) and 'he set the boundaries of the nations according to the number of his angels' (Deut 32:8). And the justice from the judgment will be for us from the Lord on that day when he judges the inhabited world in righteousness (Acts 17:31), if indeed the Father has given all judgment to the Son.

What man will find a courageous woman? Courage is an excellent state of the logical soul, by which he has mastered the opposing forces of enemies. Such a thing will not fail good dogs. We plunder the opposing power having conquered.

Greek · §27

γνῶσιν καὶ πτωχῷ οὐχ ὑπάρχει νοῦς ἐπιγνώμων Οὐκοῦν πτωχός ἐστιν ὁ μὴ ἔχων νοῦν ἐπιγνώμονα. 361 29, 9 ἀνὴρ σοφὸς κρίνει ἔθνη· ἀνὴρ δὲ φαῦλος ὀργιζόμενος 29 καταγελᾶται καὶ οὐ καταπτήσσει «Καὶ ἐπ' αὐτόν, φησὶν ὁ ∆αυίδ, γελάσονται καὶ ἐροῦσιν· ἰδοὺ ἄνθρωπος ὃς οὐκ ἔθετο τὸν θεὸν βοηθὸν αὐτοῦ.» 362 29, 10 ἄνδρες αἱμάτων μέτοχοι ζητήσουσιν ὅσιον· οἱ δὲ εὐθεῖς ἐκζητήσουσιν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ Οὗτος ἐκζητεῖ ψυχὴν δικαίου ὁ τὰ αὐτῇ νενοημένα νοῆσαι βουλόμενος. 363 29, 11 ὅλον τὸν θυμὸν αὐτοῦ ἐκφέρει ἄφρων· σοφὸς δὲ ταμιεύεται κατὰ μέροσ Οὗτος ταμιεύεται τὸν θυμὸν κατὰ μέρος ἤτοι ὁ ἐπὶ τοῖς δικαίοις ὀργιζόμενος πράγμασιν ἢ ὁ διὰ τῆς μακρο-θυμίας καταναλίσκων τὸν θυμὸν κατὰ μέρος. Καὶ πρὸς μὲν τοὺς ἁπλουστέρους λεκτέον τὸ πρότερον, πρὸς δὲ τοὺς σπουδαίους τὸ δεύτερον. 364 29, 18 οὐ μὴ ὑπάρξῃ ἐξηγητὴς ἔθνει παρανόμῳ· ὁ δὲ φυλάσσων τὸν νόμον μακαριστόσ Τοῖς μὲν φυλάξασι τὸν νόμον ὑπάρξει ἐξηγητής· τοῖς δὲ παρανομήσασιν ἐξηγητὴς μὲν οὐχ ὑπάρξει, κολαστὴς δὲ ὑπάρξει, εἴπερ οὐ λόγος, ἀλλὰ ῥάβδος παρανόμῳ δίδοται ἔθνει. 365 29, 19 λόγοις οὐ παιδευθήσεται οἰκέτης σκληρός· ἐὰν γὰρ καὶ νοήσῃ, οὐχ ὑπακούσεται Ὅτι οὐδεὶς κατὰ φύσιν σκληρός, παρίστησι τὸ «ἐὰν γὰρ καὶ νοήσῃ, οὐχ ὑπακούσεται»· ὁ γὰρ κατὰ φύσιν σκληρὸς οὐκ ἂν ὀρθόν τι νοήσοι ποτέ. Τοῦτο δὲ λέγω διὰ τὸν Φαραὼ σκληρυνθέντα ἐπὶ τὸν Ἰσραὴλ καὶ μὴ λόγοις, ἀλλὰ μάστιξι παιδευθέντα. 366 29, 21 ὃς κατασπαταλᾷ ἐκ παιδός, οἰκέτης ἔσται· ἔσχατον δὲ ὀδυνηθήσεται ἐφ' ἑαυτῷ Εἰ τὸ σπαταλᾶν ἁμαρτάνειν ποιεῖ, «πᾶς δὲ ὁ ποιῶν τὴν ἁμαρτίαν δοῦλός ἐστι τῆς ἁμαρτίας», πᾶς ἄρα ὁ σπαταλῶν δοῦλός ἐστι τῆς ἁμαρτίας. 367 29, 23 ὕβρις ἄνδρα ταπεινοῖ· τοὺς δὲ ταπεινόφρονας ἐρείδει δόξῃ κύριοσ Νῦν τὴν κακίαν ὕβριν ψυχῆς λογικῆς ὀνομάζει. 368 29, 24.1 ὃς μερίζεται κλέπτῃ μισεῖ τὴν ἑαυτοῦ ψυχήν «Ὁ κλέπτης, φησίν, οὐκ ἔρχεται εἰ μὴ ἵνα κλέψῃ καὶ θύσῃ καὶ ἀπολέσῃ.» 369 29, 24.2 ἐὰν δὲ ὅρκου προτεθέντος ἀκούσαντες μὴ ἀναγγείλωσιν, 29, 25.1 φοβηθέντες καὶ αἰσχυνθέντες ἀνθρώπους ὑποσκελισθήσονται Ὅρκον εἶπε τὸν νόμον· ὥσπερ γὰρ ὁ ὅρκος τίθησι θεὸν ἐν ψυχῇ, οὕτω καὶ ὁ νόμος εἰσάγει θεὸν εἰς ψυχήν· καὶ ὃν τρόπον πάλιν ἀναιρεῖ ἡ ἐπιορκία θεὸν ἐκ ψυχῆς, οὕτω καὶ παρανομία ἐκβάλλει θεὸν ἀπ' αὐτῆς. Ἐὰν οὖν, φησίν, νόμου τεθέντος ἀκούσαντες μὴ ἐξαγορεύσωσιν ἑαυτῶν τὰς ἁμαρτίας, «φοβηθέντες καὶ αἰσχυνθέντες ἀνθρώπους ὑποσκε-λισθήσονται». Οὕτω φησὶ καὶ ὁ ∆αυίδ· «ὤμοσα καὶ ἔστησα τοῦ φυλάξασθαι τὰ κρίματα τῆς δικαιοσύνης σου.» Καὶ πάλιν ὁ Σολομών φησιν· «ὁ ἐπικαλύπτων ἀσέβειαν ἑαυτοῦ οὐκ εὐοδωθήσεται· ὁ δὲ ἐξηγούμενος καὶ ἐλέγχων ἀγαπηθήσεται.» Καὶ ὁ ∆αυίδ· «εἶπα, φησίν, ἐξαγορεύσω κατ' ἐμοῦ τὴν ἀνομίαν μου τῷ κυρίῳ καὶ σὺ ἀφῆκας τὴν ἀσέβειαν τῆς καρδίας μου»· καὶ «λέγε σὺ πρῶτος τὰς ἀνομίας σου.» 370 29, 26 πολλοὶ θεραπεύουσι πρόσωπα ἡγουμένων· παρὰ δὲ κυρίου γίνεται τὸ δίκαιον ἀνδρί Ἐν τῷ κατορθοῦν θεραπεύομεν τοὺς ἀγγέλους· αὐτοὶ γάρ εἰσιν οἱ ἡγούμενοι ἡμῶν ἀπ' ἀρχῆς λαβόντες ἡμᾶς, «ὅτε διεμέριζεν ἔθνη ὁ ὕψιστος» καὶ «ἔστησεν ὅρια ἐθνῶν κατὰ ἀριθμὸν ἀγγέλων αὐτοῦ». Τὸ δὲ ἐκ τῆς κρίσεως δίκαιον ὑπάρξει ἡμῖν παρὰ τοῦ κυρίου ἐν ἐκείνῃ τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ὅτε κρινεῖ τὴν οἰκουμένην ἐν δικαιοσύνῃ, εἴγε πᾶσαν τὴν κρίσιν ὁ πάτηρ δέδωκε τῷ υἱῷ. 371 31, 10.1 γυναῖκα ἀνδρείαν τίς εὑρήσει; Ἀνδρεία ἐστὶν ἕξις ἀρίστη λογικῆς ψυχῆς, καθ' ἣν τῶν ἀντικειμένων αὐτῇ κεκράτηκεν ἐχθρῶν. 372 '31, 11.2 ἡ τοιαύτη καλῶν σκύλων οὐκ ἀπορήσει Νικήσαντες τὴν ἀντικειμένην δύναμιν σκυλεύομεν

Scholia on Proverbs§28

28Those learning the words about her. She makes unserviceable wool and linen with her hands. The soul is a weaver of wool and linen, considering the nature of living and lifeless things, or examining the discourses concerning the practical and the natural. One said that the soul weaves wool and linen, drawing the contemplation of bodies and incorporeals toward it through the practical life.

The one who is the sun of justice finds the soul rising from the night, being watchful, and moreover praying, so that she might not fall into temptation; for she herself hastens to say, 'I awoke and became like a sparrow perching on a roof' (Psalm 84:3). She rose up and realized that it is good to work, and the lamp is not extinguished through the whole night. A pure mind is a lamp, filled with spiritual contemplation.

She stretches out her hands toward what is profitable; her shuttles she rests upon a loom. A pure mind is a loom, weaving virtue with virtue and doctrine with doctrine, or a spoken word drawing spiritual contemplation from the mind. Her husband does not care about those in the house whenever she is busy; for all those near her are being clothed. The mind would not proceed, nor would contemplation of the incorporeals occur, without first correcting the inner things; for the disturbance of the household is wont to turn it back toward those things from which it had departed. But having acquired apatheia, she will be busy in contemplation and will not care about those in the house; for the soul has clothed itself in practicalness and humility, and in desire, temperance and self-control.

She made two shuttles for her husband; garments of earth and sea from fine linen and purple. The discourses are garments of the rational soul from fine linen and...

A purple garment. Another says that the contemplation of events and the contemplation of the Holy Trinity is a garment of a pure mind made of the deep and purple.

He made linen and gave it, and girdles to the Canaanites (Proverbs 31:24). The linen shown on the roof was a symbol to Peter of the sensible world; for the various animals contained in it showed the diverse characters of men, having been purified by the cross of Christ. If one linen signified this world, may it not be that many linens contain the contemplation of various worlds, which the pure soul having contemplated, shared with others. And if the Canaanites are interpreted as the lowly, it is well that he did not give the linens to the lowly in mind, but to the pure the linens, and to the Canaanites the girdles, which are symbols of the practical life, the passionate part of the soul binding.

Narrow dwellings of the house (Proverbs 31:27). If the devil is 'king' of 'all those in the waters' and 'through waterless places he finds no rest', then it is rightly said that the narrow dwellings are the habits of the pure soul.

She was lazy and did not eat grain (Proverbs 31:27). They say that lazy grain is the evil.

For a wise woman is blessed; but the fear of the Lord let her praise (Proverbs 31:30). If 'the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom', then the soul which happens to find wisdom rightly praises the fear of the Lord, which has become to her a precursor of such knowledge.

He who does not conduct himself with his own house will inherit wind, and he will serve a fool despite being wise (Proverbs 11:29). This exhortation of the fool. Every worthless fool, every fool is a slave, therefore every worthless person is a slave.

Friends will hate poor friends, but many friends of the rich (Proverbs 14:20). For the holy angels love the holy because of their virtues; but they hate the sinners because of their poverty.

Greek · §28

αὐτὴν τοὺς περὶ αὐτῆς λόγους μανθάνοντες. 373 '31, 13 μηρυομένη ἔρια καὶ λίνον ἐποίησεν εὔχρηστα ταῖσχερσὶν αὐτῆσ Μηρύεται ἔρια καὶ λίνον ψυχὴ τοὺς περὶ ἐμψύχων καὶ ἀψύχων λόγους γυμνάζουσα ἢ τοὺς περὶ πρακτικῆς καὶ φυσικῆς ἐξετάζουσα λόγους. Ἔλεγε δέ τις ὅτι μηρύεται ἔρια καὶ λίνον ψυχὴ τὴν περὶ σωμάτων καὶ ἀσωμάτων θεωρίαν διὰ τῆς πρακτικῆς ἕλκουσα πρὸς αὐτήν. 374 '31, 15.1–2 καὶ ἀνίσταται ἐκ νυκτῶν καὶ ἔδωκε βρώματα τῷ οἴκῳ Τὴν ἐκ νυκτὸς 30 ἀνισταμένην ψυχὴν ἐγρηγορυῖαν εὑρίσκει ὁ τῆς δικαιοσύνης ἥλιος, πάντως δὲ καὶ προσευ-χομένην, ἵνα μὴ ἐμπέσῃ εἰς πειρασμόν· σπεύδει γὰρ καὶ αὐτὴ εἰπεῖν τὸ «ἠγρύπνησα καὶ ἐγενόμην ὡς στρουθίον μονάζον ἐπὶ δώματι». 375 '31, 18 ἐγεύσατο δὲ ὅτι καλόν ἐστιν τὸ ἐργάζεσθαι καὶ οὐκ ἀποσβέννυται ὅλην τὴν νύκτα ὁ λύχνος αὐτῆσ Λύχνος ἐστὶ νοῦς καθαρὸς πνευματικῆς θεωρίας πεπληρωμένος. 376 '31, 19 τὰς χεῖρας αὐτῆς ἐκτείνει ἐπὶ τὰ συμφέροντα· τοὺς δὲ πήχεις αὐτῆς ἐρείδει εἰς ἄτρακτον Ἄτρακτός ἐστι νοῦς καθαρὸς συμπλέκων ἀρετὴν ἀρετῇ καὶ δόγματι δόγμα ἢ λόγος προφορικὸς ἕλκων ἀπὸ τοῦ νοῦ πνευματικὴν θεωρίαν. 377 '31, 21 οὐ φροντίζει τῶν ἐν οἴκῳ ὁ ἀνὴρ αὐτῆς, ὅτανπου χρονίζῃ· πάντες γὰρ οἱ παρ' αὐτῆς ἐνδιδύσκονται Οὐκ ἂν προέλθοι ὁ νοῦς οὐδ' ἐν τῇ θεωρίᾳ γένοιτο τῶν ἀσωμάτων μὴ τὰ ἔνδον διορθωσάμενος· ἡ γὰρ ταραχὴ τῶν οἰκείων ἐπιστρέφειν αὐτὸν εἴωθε πρὸς τὰ ἀφ' ὧν ἐξελήλυθεν. Ἀπάθειαν δὲ κτησάμενος χρονίσει τε ἐν τῇ θεωρίᾳ καὶ οὐ φροντίσει τῶν ἐν οἴκῳ· ἐνδέδυται γὰρ θυμὸς μὲν πραΰτητα καὶ ταπεινοφροσύνην, ἐπιθυμία δὲ σωφροσύνην καὶ ἐγκράτειαν. 378 '31, 22 δισσὰς χλαίνας ἐποίησεν τῷ ἀνδρὶ αὐτῆς· ἐκ δὲ βύσσου καὶ πορφύρας ἑαυτῇ ἐνδύματα Γῆς καὶ θαλάσσης οἱ λόγοι ἐνδύματά εἰσι ψυχῆς λογικῆς ἐκ βύσσου καὶ πορφύρας. Ἄλλος δέ τις ἐρεῖ τὴν θεωρίαν τῶν γεγονότων καὶ τὴν θεωρίαν τῆς ἁγίας τριάδος ἔνδυμα εἶναι νοῦ καθαροῦ ἐκ βύσσου καὶ πορφύρας. 379 '31, 24 σινδόνας ἐποίησεν καὶ ἀπέδοτο, περιζώματα δὲ τοῖς Χαναναίοισ Ἡ φανεῖσα σινδὼν ἐπὶ τοῦ δώματος Πέτρῳ σύμβολον ἦν τοῦ κόσμου τοῦ αἰσθητοῦ· τὰ γὰρ ἐν αὐτῇ περιεχόμενα ζῷα τὰ διάφορα ἤθη τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἐδήλου καθαρισθέντα τῷ σταυρῷ τοῦ Χριστοῦ. Εἰ οὖν ἡ μία σινδὼν τὸν κόσμον τοῦτον ἐσήμαινεν, μήποτε αἱ πλείους σινδόνες τὴν περὶ διαφόρων κόσμων περιέχουσι θεωρίαν, ἣν ἡ καθαρὰ ψυχὴ θεωρήσασα καὶ ἄλλοις μετέδωκεν. Εἰ δὲ οἱ Χαναναῖοι ταπεινοὶ ἑρμηνεύονται, καλῶς οὐ τοῖς ταπεινοῖς τὴν διάνοιαν ἀπέδοτο τὰς σινδόνας, ἀλλὰ καθαροῖς μὲν τὰς σινδόνας, τοῖς δὲ Χαναναίοις περιζώματα, ἅπερ πρακτικῆς ἐστι σύμβολα τὸ παθητικὸν μέρος τῆς ψυχῆς περισφίγγοντα. 380 '31, 27.1 στεγναὶ διατριβαὶ οἴκων αὐτῆσ Εἰ ὁ διάβολος «βασιλεύς» ἐστι «πάντων τῶν ἐν τοῖς ὕδασι» καὶ «δι' ἀνύδρων τόπων ἀνάπαυσιν οὐχ εὑρίσκει», καλῶς τῆς καθαρᾶς ψυχῆς στεγναὶ αἱ διατριβαὶ λέγονται εἶναι. 381 '31, 27.2 σῖτα δὲ ὀκνηρὰ οὐκ ἔφαγεν Σῖτα ὀκνηρὰ τὰς κακίας εἶναί φασιν. 382 '31, 30.2–3 γυνὴ γὰρ συνετὴ εὐλογεῖται· φόβον δὲ κυρίου αὕτη αἰνείτω Εἰ «ἀρχὴ σοφίας φόβος κυρίου», δικαίως ἡ τυχοῦσα τῆς σοφίας ψυχὴ αἰνεῖ τὸν φόβον κυρίου, ὅστις γέγονεν αὐτῇ τῆς τοιαύτης γνώσεως πρόξενος. 383 11, 29 ὁ μὴ συμπεριφερόμενος τῷ ἑαυτοῦ οἴκῳ κληρονομήσει ἄνεμον, δουλεύσει δὲ ἄφρων φρονίμῳ Ἐγκώμιον τοῦτο τοῦ ἄφρονος. Πᾶς φαῦλος ἄφρων, πᾶς ἄφρων δοῦλος, πᾶς ἄρα φαῦλος δοῦλος. 384 14, 20 φίλοι μισήσουσιν φίλους πτωχούς, φίλοι δὲ πλουσίων πολλοί Ἀγαπῶσι γὰρ οἱ ἅγιοι ἄγγελοι τοὺς ἁγίους διὰ τὰς ἀρετάς· τοὺς δὲ ἁμαρτωλοὺς μισοῦσι διὰ τὴν τούτων πενίαν. 31

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